Promises (Remastered)
by EpicTalesOfBoredom
Summary: The remastered version of my first fanfic, Promises. Special Thanks to: SoulEnder, NataNegra, and werewolf lover99. Summary: Sally is distraught by Sonic dumping her and demands that Knuckles fulfill a promise made nearly a decade ago.
1. Chapter 1: You've Changed

**Chapter 1: "You've Changed"**

"I don't know how else to say this, Sal; you've changed."

"Yeah, well, thinking your boyfriend is dead for a year can do that." Sally glared at Sonic. They were standing in her quarters of Freedom HQ. Everything was pristine and organized, which was a habit she had picked up as a princess. "Do you have any idea how many times I cried myself to sleep?" she continued with an accusing tone, "How many times I asked myself 'why couldn't it of been me?'!"

Sonic averted his emerald-colored eyes from her hurt gaze. "I told you it had to seem real."

"I'm your girlfriend, or at least, I was! That means I'm your partner, you could've at least told me. What you did nearly destroyed us. It didn't just hurt me, Tails completely lost hope and blamed himself for your supposed death."

Sonic didn't reply, he just stared at his iconic red shoes. Sally continued, "If it hadn't of been for Knuckles's support, I don't know what we would've done."

Sonic looked up sharply at the mention of Knuckles's name. "He was probably glad to be rid of me, so he could take the spotlight," he muttered.

Sally slapped him and he staggered. "He's our friend; how dare you accuse him of wanting your death?!"

Sonic rubbed his cheek. "Oh yeah? Tell me, did he try any moves on you?" he shot back. Sally swung again, but he managed to dodge it this time and grabbed her wrist.

"No. You're lucky he's such a loyal friend because I probably would've thrown myself into his arms if he had."

Sonic released her and shook his head. "See, this is what I'm talking about. Old Sal wouldn't threaten to cheat."

"Hello?! I thought you were dead, and you've changed yourself. You're a bigger dick than ever."

"I'm sorry, Sal… but it's over."

"Fine! I don't want to talk to you ever again."

"Aw c'mon, it doesn't have to be that way…"

"Just go."

"But -"

"Go!" Sally pointed towards the door for added emphasis. Sonic shut his mouth and reluctantly slunk out. Sally's stern face broke as a tear formed and rolled down her face. She flung herself on her bed facedown to mute the breaking of her heart.  
* * *

Sonic wandered out into the main commons of the base. The wide room was mostly deserted, only Tails and Amy talked quietly near the fox's workbench. They broke off when Sonic entered. Amy seemed uncomfortable while Tails deliberately looked away. Sonic knew what they had been talking about: his mysterious disappearance and, more recently, his mysterious reappearance. He also knew that they would need time to heal.

He continued to walk aimlessly, but as he passed he said, "I know you guys wonder where I went and why, and I'll tell you everything in good time." Neither replied and Sonic left the room.

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** This is the official reposting of my first fanfic published and completed on this site, with cleaned up grammar, dialogue, and all-around revising. The plot is exactly the same for those of you who have read it when it was first published, however even if you have or haven't, you can either enjoy it all over again or for the first time. Note, while it's labeled as Knux x Sally, there is a plot twist near the end, yet this pairing is a central theme in the story.

Next, if I can toot my own horn, several of my readers have commented on how well I portrayed certain characters (mostly Sally and Knux) and praised both the dialogue and pacing. That said, I feel as if I glazed over the other characters that made appearances such as Sonic, Tails, Julie-Su, etc. and didn't give them the proper attention and love they deserved (especially Sonic and Jules). Anyways, it was positively reviewed and I hope to garner some fresh views on this instant classic of mine.

And on a final note, please don't remove this revised edition **or** the original, as explained on my profile page, I lost the password to my old account and could not recover it. I keep my original profile close as a reminder of my origins and to reflect back on. It has a lot of sentimental value to me personally. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2: Playmates

**Chapter 2: Playmates:**

Later that night, Sally still lay in bed, her tears long since dried up. However her eyes were still red, puffy, and swollen as a testament to her anguish. She sat up and looked at a picture on her bedside table. It was a group photo of the core members of the Freedom Fighters. Sonic had his arms around Sally and Tails, Amy was on the other side of Tails, and Knuckles stood to Sally's left looking as if he wished he was anywhere else. Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor, and even Mina also stood behind them. It had been a long time since Sally had seen them since they left the force. Back then, things were difficult, but everyone was happier.

Sally set the picture down on its face. Things were different now. She stood up and walked over to her vanity dresser. In the mirror frame, several smaller photographs were inserted. One, older than the rest, was tattered and its edges had begun to yellow. On it was the image of two young kids smiling and had arms on the other. One was a tall and somewhat lanky, yet fit, scarlet echidna with wide violet eyes. The other was shorter and more regal, with brown fur and joyful irises of the same hue. Although it was taken a decade ago, Sally remembered how these two youths first met.  
*

 _Sally, a much younger six-year-old version, wandered along one of the many paths that meandered through Angel Island's scenic wilderness. She had begged Father to allow her to accompany him and her older brother, Elias, on a trip to the echidnas' ancestral home. She had tried to focus on what exactly was being discussed, but her childish mind grew bored and began to drift. Locke had sent her to explore when she got too restless._

 _Over time, she became aware of a presence watching her. Nervous, she looked around but didn't see anyone. A nearby rustle made her jump. Whatever it was grew still. Summoning up her courage, she approached to have a look; Locke wouldn't send her out if there was anything dangerous after all. Carefully, she parted the bush and was shocked to find a pair of purple eyes staring at her._

 _The other, apparently as surprised as her, let out a little yelp as Sally stumbled backwards, falling on another bush on the opposite side of the trail. The stranger rose up out of the shrub and smiled slightly. Why, it was just a kid like herself. Suddenly feeling quite silly, she picked herself up and brushed the twigs off of her dress._

 _"Wh-who are you?" she asked rather shakily._

 _"I could be asking you the same thing. You're the trespasser after all," the echidna retorted._

 _"I'm not trespassing!" she denied haughtily, indignation overcoming her anxiety. "I'm a guest of Guardian Locke and a member of the Royal Family."_

 _"That so?" he asked, hostility long gone. "Well excuse me, Princess; I was merely perfecting my sneaking skill."_

 _"Well it certainly needs work," Sally huffed. As an afterthought, she asked, "What's your name?"_

 _"Knuckles. And the next Guardian of the Master Emerald," he answered, puffing his chest out proudly._

 _"The next Guardian? That would make you…"_

 _"Yep, Locke's my dad."_

 _"I didn't know he had a son."_

 _"Yeah, well, he usually keeps me pretty busy doing something or other."_

 _"How old are you?"_

 _"Six. Why?"_

 _"Really? You look at least eight."_

 _Knuckles blushed slightly and scuffed the ground with his shoe. "I'm big for my age," he explained. "What about you?"_

 _"I'm six as well."_

 _Knuckles smiled uncertainly, apparently not used to addressing someone his age._

 _"Want to play?" Sally asked._

 _"Play?" A confused expression clouded his face._

 _"Yeah; you know, 'tag you're it'?"_

 _Knuckles still looked confused._

 _"You play like this," she began. She jabbed a hand at him and touched his arm gently. He looked at the spot she had touched. "Now you chase me and try to tag me back, got it?" He shook his head and she sighed. This was going to be difficult. "How do you not know how to play?" she asked, perhaps a bit more harshly than she had intended._

 _Knuckles shrugged. "Guess I don't have much time to play…" he mumbled as he stared at his feet._

 _Sally instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. Here, let me teach you. Go run and... I'll chase you." He stood rooted in place for a moment as if unsure. "Well go on," she gestured with a wave. Slowly, he began to jog off down the path, looking back at her occasionally._

 _She quietly counted to five then took off after her new playmate. Seeing her chase him, he instinctively increased his pace. She soon caught up with him though and gave a gentle shove on the back. He stumbled for a few steps then stopped. He turned back to see her quickly running the opposite way. He smiled a bit and chased her back. She didn't get far before he caught her. Playing was fun! However, his shove was perhaps a bit rougher than he had intended._

 _She launched forward and disappeared over a fern. He ran up to the edge and peered over the large plant, hoping to find her unhurt. She popped up suddenly, startling him and poked his chest. That, and his own backward motion, ended up with him falling on his rump. Sally giggled lightly. Knuckles couldn't help but a chuckle a bit as well._

 _Sally walked around the plant and began to run down the path. "Come get me!" she called over her shoulder._

 _Knuckles scrambled to his feet and tore off after her with biggest smile he had ever had._  
 _* * *_

 _Dusk was setting when Knuckles and Sally sat in grassy clearing later that day, exhausted from a full day's worth of frolicking. When they had gotten bored with tag, Sally taught him how to play Hide-and-Seek. Unsurprisingly, Knuckles turned out to be the best, finding incredible hiding spots and finding Sally regardless of where she hid._

 _"That was fun," she breathed._

 _"Fun," Knuckles repeated. Another strange word to him, but he was liking this new concept._

 _"Yeah. Don't you play with other kids?"_

 _Knuckles shook his head. "Nope. I'm the only one."_

 _Sally looked perplexed. "You mean that you and your dad are the only people on this entire island?"_

 _"Yep."_

 _"Doesn't it get lonely?" she wondered aloud._

 _"Sometimes, but I'm usually too busy to notice."_

 _Sally looked at her newfound friend. He looked wistful, as if he was an outsider looking in. She reached out and took his hand. "Well I'm your friend now."_

 _"Friend?" Knuckles tried out this word. It gave him a warm feeling, something nice that he didn't usually feel._

 _Before long, a rich voice could be heard over the treetops followed shortly by a deeper bark that distinctly said, "Knuckles!"_

 _"Father!"_

 _"Dad!"_

 _Both blushed slightly at having talked at the same time. The two heaved themselves up and began a slow trot toward the origin of the voices._

 _By the time they arrived a helicopter was waiting for the Royal Family. The King, looking stately in his business clothes, waited nearby along with the bearded Locke to his right and 12-year-old Elias to the left. "I see you made friend, Sally," the King observed._

 _"Yes, Father."_

 _Locke looked evenly at his son. "Giving the Princess a tour of the island were you?"_

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _Locke gave an approving nod and turned to the King. "This is my son, Knuckles, and future Guardian," he explained._

 _"Well how about that?" the King mused, "A playmate for my daughter. Perhaps it was a good thing I brought you after all, my bean." The King smiled warmly and extended a hand to the young echidna. He took it and shook it firmly. "Nice strong grip," the King noted, "You'll make a fine young man one day."_

 _"May we leave? My feet are growing tired," Elias complained._

 _"Of course," the King answered. He turned to Locke and tipped his head courteously, "Until next time then, Guardian."_

 _Locke returned the nod with a stiff bow. "I look forward to it. Perhaps our friendship may bring our nations closer together."_

 _"Perhaps," the King replied. With that, the Royal family boarded the chopper as it began to power up. Sally waved out the window as it ascended into the sky. Knuckles returned the gesture likewise._

 _Father and son were soon left standing in an empty field. "Dad?" Knuckles ventured._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"They'll be back right?"_

 _"Maybe."_

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** The original version of this chapter and the first three or so, didn't have any AN's in it, as it was a habit a picked up later on to communicate and respond with my readers who left reviews. In any case, this chapter was a favorite of mine and even had a few references from some 90's cartoons. Like the "excuse me, Princess" came from that old Zelda cartoon (albiet, Knuckles didn't use the quite the same annoying tone) and the "bean" bit is a direct reference to Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM). So in terms of continuity, it was inspired by the Archie Comics version of Mobius, but naturally has a few inconsistencies with timelines and whatnot being that it is fanfiction. Besides, it's my story, and I'll tell it how I want.

The second thing I want to mention is that a reader (SoulEnder to be exact) gave me a big thumbs up for using the photograph as a gateway for the flashback, calling it "a nice touch". I happen to agree and I love how it provides a smooth transistion for me to build backstory. Aside from all that, Chapter 2 was a favorite of mine, but not the absolute best, that's yet to come. Anyways, thanks for reading and be sure to drop comments if you guys have anything interesting to say. I also take requests from time to time; I'm currently working on two, but any suggestions will added to my list of future projects. So once again, thanks for reading, TheEpicTales.

P.S. There's a reference to the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride if you noticed. Kudos to anyone who can spot it and point it out.


	3. Chapter 3: You Promise?

**Chapter 3: "You Promise?"**

 _The days following Sally's departure were among the longest to the young Knuckles. Everyday once he had finished his schooling and training for the day, he would go to the edge of the island and scan the skyline that she had disappeared to, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, he would glimpse her coming back. He stared at the horizon each evening until night fell and hunger and the cold drove him home. As the weeks dragged by, his optimism began to die. Perhaps she wouldn't be coming back after all…_

 _Finally, well over a month since she left with her family, Knuckles made one last trip even though he thought it pointless. As he gazed over the clouds, he saw a vault of indigo wrapped across the heavens with a smattering of stars winking into existence, and through the darkening clouds, he could spot patches of the black sea beneath. He stood with the chill wind whipping his dreadlocks about his face and ruffling his coarse fur. A whole world was out there, beyond his vision, a world vast and unknowable… yet he would never see it. He would always be in a self-imposed exile on this island. This thought deeply saddened him. He never felt more alone in the world, knowing that there were others, like him, but completely different at the same time._

 _At length, the pale crescent moon rose over the clouds and gave them a silvery outline. The stars winked at him. Possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but its beauty was lost upon him. She didn't come… She never will… His head hung low, he turned away and shuffled his way towards the single-room cabin that he and his father shared near the shrine._  
*

 _The next morning, he was given the day off by his father. Within his memory, he had never been given a "day off." Unsure of how to take advantage of this rare and unexpected opportunity, Knuckles went off to check on the snares and traps, making sure they were set and working properly._

 _He was resetting a tangled snare when a low buzzing sound began to drone in the background. Pausing, he listened closely. Bees? No, too steady. It grew in volume as the seconds ticked by. Standing up, he looked around, fear beginning to bubble in his tummy. If it was bees, they were getting closer and sounded angry. This theory was quickly disproved once it got much too loud for any living thing to realistically make._

 _Suddenly the sound of air being ripped up was deafening. Knuckles looked up and watched with shocked eyes a huge black machine passing directly overhead through the trees. A helicopter… As it banked, Knuckles saw the Royal Crest painted on the flank. It couldn't be…_

 _Abandoning his chore, he tore off towards the center of the island._  
* * *

 _Knuckles arrived in time to see the chopper touch ground. His father was already there looking as impassive as ever. Noticing his son, the older echidna beckoned him over. Knuckles jogged over and took his place near his father._

 _The blades whirred as they slowed down. Once they finally halted, the main hatch opened and out stepped the Royal Family. King Max and a tall, beautiful female led Prince Elias and Princess Sally out of the luxurious craft. "That's Queen Alicia," Locke murmured to his son, nodding slightly towards the elegantly dressed woman._

 _The King dismissed the pilot, a gold and purple male panda, and beckoned forward two guards, a smart looking fox and a battle-scarred gorilla. Locke bowed respectfully to the King and Queen._

 _"You really don't have to do that, Locke," Max chided._

 _"Formalities are formalities," he dryly reminded the King, "But what about the guards? You are quite safe on the island."_

 _The King shook his head slowly, "Consider it another formality. Believe me, Locke, I am well aware that you mean me or my family no harm, but the war hasn't been going well."_

 _"What war?" asked Knuckles._

 _Queen Alicia gave a warning, yet dignified look at her husband, "Never you worry your mind, young one. What is your name?"_

 _"Um… Kn-Knuckles the Echidna… Err, your Majesty," he answered nervously._

 _"No need to be frightened, child," Alicia soothed, bending slightly to stroke his headfur. "Are you the same Knuckles my daughter has been talking so much about?"_

 _Knuckles nodded. Pleasure warmed his body; Sally had been talking about him!_

 _"Well aren't you handsome and polite; I can see why my Sally took a liking to you," she continued to praise him. Knuckles smiled, suddenly very much liking the Queen. "Why don't you two go run along then," she suggested, indicating that she had given Sally permission to greet her friend. Moving out of the way, the Queen watched as her daughter scampered up to Locke's son, apparently forgetting her etiquette lessons again._

 _"Hi, Knuckles! You miss me?" Sally asked, throwing a hug around his solid frame._

 _"Everyday," he answered before realizing to what he had just admitted, causing him to blush._

 _Fortunately, his crimson fur blended in with his blush, somewhat hiding it. He awkwardly returned the gesture._

 _Sally broke apart the hug, but remained close. "Good. Where are we going today?"_

 _Knuckles hesitated and glanced from his father to the King and Queen. His father looked at the Queen who gave her consent in the form of a small nod. Turning back to the chipmunk princess, he said, "I was thinking of showing you the waterfall. It's not far from the shrine."_

 _"Ooh! Let's go then," Sally responded excitedly._

 _The gorilla started to move over towards the two, but was intercepted by the King. "It's alright, Ricardo, I'm sure Knuckles won't let her come to harm… Right, Knuckles?" Knuckles nodded vigorously. "See? You'll be staying with the chopper." The gorilla grunted acknowledgement and nodded respectfully before moving back to the craft._

 _"Wanna come, brother?" Sally asked Elias._

 _The prince sniffed somewhat disdainfully, "My definition of fun is not tromping around some god-forsaken jungle," he retorted._

 _"Alright, suit yourself then. C'mon, Knuckles." Sally took his hand and led him away. Once they were out of view of the others, she slowed to let Knuckles take the lead. He moved confidently through the dense undergrowth, choosing to take the shortest path rather than the scenic path to the shrine and then to the waterfall._

 _Before long, Sally could hear the dull roar of a waterfall from somewhere ahead. Only minutes after that, she could steal a few glimpses through the boughs of the foliage, just before emerging from the rain forest. The sight of the cascading water forming a large, bubbling pool literally stole her breath._

 _"Princess? Do you like it?" Knuckles snapped her out of her stupor._

 _"It's so beautiful…" she breathed. The shining sun reflected off the mist surrounding the falls creating a shimmering rainbow screen. The entire scene put Sally in a peaceful state and almost seemed impossibly surreal._

 _"I like to come here sometimes to relax after a stressful day," Knuckles explained, shuffling his feet in the dirt._

 _"I can see why," Sally agreed. Tearing away from the view, she looked at her friend and gave him another hug. "Thank you for bringing me here," she murmured._

 _"It's no big deal," he mumbled shyly, but blushed with pleasure again. "Would you like to swim?" he asked once Sally let him go._

 _Sally shook her head. "I can't get my clothes wet, or Mother would be upset. And I didn't bring swimwear," she explained._

 _"Don't really need a swimsuit," he countered, "I don't when I swim."_

 _"You mean… swim naked?" she asked rather stunned and shocked, "Together?"_

 _"Why not? It's just me and you; no one else knows where this is," he argued. Then he paused as a thought passed through his mind, once what exactly he was proposing registered, he blushed a deep crimson and his eyes shot open. "Err, I mean… If…"_

 _Sally thought for a while then nodded. "I suppose it's fine… After all, we're just friends. And what Mother doesn't know can't hurt her."_

 _Knuckles stood rigidly wondering what exactly he had just done. Fortunately, at that time, Knuckles was sexually ignorant (his father neglecting to ever bring it up, deeming it unnecessary considering only they lived on the island), yet being nude with a female was still awkward. Sally turned away from the echidna and pointed to her ribbons on the back. "Can you untie these please?"_

 _With trembling hands, Knuckles took the silk and deftly untied them. "Now close your eyes and turn around," Sally commanded. Knuckles did as she asked and shortly heard her slip into the pool._

 _"Alright, you can open them." When he summoned up the courage to do so, he saw Sally's head bobbing over the water. "Join me! The water's actually nice!"_

 _Suddenly, it didn't seem so awkward. Taking a running start, he leapt into the pool. Sally averted her face but still sputtered water when the splash hit her. The waterfall sent massaging bubbles throughout the entire pool. The water itself was pure and clear, his view of her body was obscured only by the foam, not that he was paying much attention to that._

 _"Oh ho! You want to play like that do you?" Sally challenged, splashing river water into his face. Knuckles tried to avoid the assault, but got a blast right in the face. Shaking the water off his face, he returned the attack. Sally dove back and dodged most of it, but retaliated yet again. Giggling, they went back and forth in this manner, each trying to make the biggest splash._

 _This went on for several minutes until they grew weary of the game and found another to play. This was the most fun Knuckles had had since their last meeting and, secretly, for Sally as well._

 _Once they had worn themselves out swimming, the two climbed out and lay on the grass in the clearing. Neither felt the least bit uneasy, although Knuckles was careful to avoid staring. "I just thought of something," Sally said suddenly._

 _"And what's that?" he asked._

 _"Where does all this water come from? It can't rain too much here since you're above most of the clouds. All this foliage and a full waterfall, yet it all spills over the sides and disappears."_

 _Knuckles answered carefully. "My dad says it has something to do with the Emerald, that it maintains a steady environment capable of sustaining life, or something like that. It's also what makes the island defy gravity."_

 _"I was wondering about that too."_

 _A peaceful silence fell between them. It was maintained for several minutes, before Sally spoke again._

 _"Knuckles," she began._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Will we always be friends?"_

 _Knuckles turned his head to find Sally already staring at him. "Yeah, of course," he agreed._

 _"Good." Sally hesitated for awhile before continuing nervously, "You know, I don't have many friends…"_

 _Knuckles sat up slightly and looked at the princess with a confused expression. "You? Aren't there other kids on the mainland?"_

 _"Well, yes, but I don't see them very often," Sally admitted._

 _"Why?"_

 _"Mother says I should only play with kids that are socially acceptable for me to associate with," she explained._

 _"Socially acceptable?"_

 _"Basically, the rich kids or nobles."_

 _"Do you?"_

 _"Most of them are stuck-up showoffs."_

 _"What about your brother, don't you play with him?"_

 _"Sometimes, but he doesn't really count. I mean, he's my brother."_

 _"Oh. Well, we'll always be friends."_

 _"You promise?"_

 _"I promise."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, yeah, it's been a while since I updated, and I apologize for that. But I'm mostly uploading this merely to buy time as I work on other projects and requests. It's a slow process, but I am making progress. So that's good at least. On this chapter, you can clearly see it's another flashback, but we'll get back to the main story in Chapter 4. Obviously, there's some nudity in here, but nothing explicit (besides, they're just kids at this point. To do anything else woulde be... gross.) Aside from that, I don't have any interesting commentary, so until then, see ya!

~TheEpicTales


	4. Chapter 4: Where Are You Going?

**Chapter 4: "Where Are You Going?"**

Sally awoke from her dream. She knew what she had to do now. Slipping out of bed, she pulled on her shoes, gloves, and jean-cutoff jacket. She opened her door quietly and stalked silently down the hall, taking small steps. If Sonic could disappear without a word to anyone, so could she. She stopped outside Tails's door, took a steadying breath and opened it as softly as she could. She glanced at the fox's curled sleeping form then entered and tiptoed over to his desk.

A ring of keys lay on top of a stack of blueprints. She lifted them straight off and tensed at the jangle they made. Tails flinched, mumbled something inaudibly, and rolled over. Letting out her breath, she turned on her heel and left the kid alone. She continued down the hall, passing many doors and turn offs, heading straight for the hangar. The reinforced concrete walls should reduce the sound of her taking off to a muffled buzz.

She almost made it. Only feet from the building, a small voice called out behind her: "Where are you going?"

Sally spun around to find the youngest person living at the compound standing behind her, holding her Chao doll by one small arm. "Nowhere, Creamie," she lied, "Now what are you doing up?"

The little rabbit rubbed one sleepy eye. "I'm thirsty," she said.

Sally glanced back at the hangar, then the keys in her hand, and finally to the girl. The Tornado wasn't going anywhere. Sighing, she took the rabbit's small hand in her own. "C'mon, Cream, let's go get you a drink."

Once Sally got Cream a glass of water and sent her back to bed after checking that the rabbit didn't anything else, Sally retraced her steps a little more quickly before another interruption kept her from leaving. She unlocked the building, climbed into the plane that Tails had personally rebuilt and modified from scratch, and put the key in the ignition. Although she hadn't flown much, Tails had made it a point to teach everyone a few basic piloting skills in case he ever needed a copilot.

She started up the craft, checked the dials, and put it into forward motion. The noise of the spinning blades seemed unbelievably loud and suddenly Sally wasn't sure about the integrity of the reinforced compound walls' ability to muffle the noise. Fearing Tails, or worse, Sonic, would be alerted and come to intercept her, she gunned the engine and attempted to take off a bit earlier than was considered safe. The plane wobbled a bit as it tried to stay aloft, but it stabilized and Sally was flying off into the night.

Once she was well out of earshot of the compound, Sally relaxed a bit and rechecked the dials. Once she ascertained her bearings, she made corrective measures and altered her course. A little while later, she realized in her haste that she had forgotten to buckle. That could've been very bad if the plane had crashed when she took off. She snapped the restraints and adjusted the straps to accommodate her somewhat bustier chest (compared to Tails'). After that, she relaxed even more and tried to concentrate on the flight itself.

Her destination was clear. Angel Island. Although she hadn't been there in awhile, she had a rough idea of where it should be, and really, how many floating islands were there just levitating in the middle of the sky? She'd know it when she saw it.

She flew all through the night and watched the sun rise from the East. She was amazed at exactly how far Angel Island seemed to be. Glancing at the fuel gauge, she wondered if she would need to stop for fuel, but she had no idea where she might find somewhere to land and refuel. Fortunately, she still had over half left.

She was soon flying over blue open sea, and was under half-fueled. But it was too late to stop or turn back. By now, Tails would have woken up to find his keys missing and wake Sonic when he found the plane missing too. It wouldn't take a genius (meaning even Sonic) to figure out that Sally's and the plane's disappearances weren't a coincidence. Furthermore, Cream had seen Sally sneaking over to the hangar. A pit opened in her stomach when she got a case of consciousness about lying to the little girl, but she pushed the thought away. Sonic needed to be taught a lesson and she knew how to get back at him.  
* * *

Knuckles opened his eyes as a butterfly landed on the tip of his nose. He twitched it, hoping to shoo off the insect, but it didn't move. Screwing up his face as the butterfly's pollen covered wings tickled his nasal cavities, he sneezed and the startled creature fluttered off. "Eh, about time," he muttered, wiping his nose. Despite his tone, he was actually in a good mood. And why shouldn't he? The day was brilliant, he had slept rather well, and the most beautiful woman in the world to him was sleeping beside him.

Turning his head, he stared at Julie-Su and a rare smile crept across his face. She was so beautiful in her sleep, he thought. He gently stroked her cheek and pushed a stray hair away from her eyes. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She stirred and opened her eyes to see her boyfriend leaning over her. "Morning, love," he said.

Smiling at his rather goofy use of endearment, she smiled back and replied, "Morning to yourself. Should I be worried about you staring at me in my sleep?"

He shook his head, dreadlocks whipping slightly. "Nah, I'm just being your watchful Guardian."

"And I need your protecting?" she asked teasingly.

"Er, well, um…" he stuttered, losing his cool a bit while trying to tread lightly.

Julie laughed a bit and put a gentle finger on his lips, "I was just kidding, ya goof. I love that you feel protective of me. I mean, what girl wouldn't?"

Knuckles smiled again and lowered Julie's hand with his own. "Ok. I'll go find us some breakfast." He stood up and jogged down the shrine's steps.

"Be back soon," she called after him, "I'm hungry!" Knuckles gave a thumbs up to show his acknowledgement as he continued.  
* * *

Sally was shocked at how quickly the island appeared in the sky. It started as an unidentifiable speck in the horizon that quickly swelled in to a hulking landmass hovering in the sky. She was thankful that she had finally reached it as she was currently running of mere fumes and she feared that at any moment the plane would just drop out of the sky. However, a nagging doubt began to eat at her. What if Knuckles wasn't happy to see her? What if running off into the night wasn't such a good idea? Worst of all, what if Sonic didn't care?

Sally tried to push such doubts down, yet they continued to buzz in the back of her mind. She pulled up and surveyed the island's terrain, looking for a decent place to land. Her mind went back to when she was a young girl and remembered the pilot consistently landed in a large clearing near the shrine of the Master Emerald. Of course, in the duration of 10 years, the clearing could've become swallowed by the vegetation that otherwise dominated the island. She had to land nevertheless, so she made a beeline for it.  
* * *

Knuckles was up a tree and had pulled off two pineapples when a familiar buzz rose in the background. "The hell?" he asked aloud. Climbing further up, he poked his head out of the foliage and scanned the sky. "Where is it coming from?" he asked himself. He turned his head the other direction and instinctively ducked when he saw the Tornado flying just above the tree line. "What the?!"

He climbed down a bit and then leapt to the jungle floor. 'What's Tails doing here?' He wondered, 'especially without prior announcement?' It must be an emergency. Knuckles sprinted through the rain forest, deftly dodging trees and ferns. By the time he arrived, the craft had already landed and Julie was standing nearby looking utterly baffled. Knuckles still held the pineapples as he stepped up next to Julie.

"Any idea what's going on?" Julie asked Knuckles. He simply shook his head. What was going on was beyond him, all he could do was to wait for the pilot to open the cockpit. When the dome of opaque glass opened and a figure exited, Knuckles' jaw dropped open in utter disbelief.

"Sally? What are you doing here?" he asked with shock clearly evident in his voice.

"I came to see you, Knucklehead," she answered as she climbed down the plane.

"Did you fly here all by yourself?"

"Yep."

"Really? It's amazing that Tails let you fly his precious plane by yourself," Knuckles observed.

"Eh-he, yes, it is," she agreed with a nervous chuckle. She hopped the rest of the way down and turned to get greet her friend. "So here I am, ya happy to see me?" she asked.

"Of course," Knuckles replied, "I'm always happy to see you, princess."

"I told you to stop calling me that," Sally scolded in a jesting manner. She decided to go ahead and give him a warm hug. Knuckles returned the embrace. "It's been too long," she whispered into his ear.

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Julie broke in, with an unsure smile playing across her face. Knuckles and Sally broke apart and looked over at the other echidna.

"I'm sorry, Julie," Sally apologized, "It's good to see you too." She put her arms around the cybernetic echidna who also returned the hug.

"So what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Knuckles asked after an appropriate pause.

"Sonic's being a dick, so I decided to take a little vay-cay," Sally explained. "I hope that's alright."

"Of course, you're always welcome here, right Knuckles?" Julie instantly replied.

"Right," he confirmed.

"We were just about to eat breakfast, care to join us?" Julie continued.

"Sure, I am rather hungry after my flight."

"Great. Let's go."

"Two girls and one guy… Anything could happen," Knuckles mused aloud.

"No. It couldn't," the girls retorted together. Knuckles chuckled slightly as the girls giggled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Ah, those memories... It's interesting to be reuploading this fic over a year later. I haven't come far since originally posting this, but it still feels like such a long time ago. *Le sigh* Anyways, an associate of mine, Mischevous Whisper, seems to be teasing me and/or my viewers, so I'll go ahead and explain (even though 90% of you didn't notice or care). I am working on what I would consider a massive undertaking in a fantasy/adventure fanfic for Sonic the Hedgehog. I expect the first few chapters will be up within the next couple of months (about Nov or Dec), and let me say, this has got me excited. It is a collab initiated by Sir _Mischevous Whisper_ , and is designed to be a reboot of sorts. His version will be in Spanish and be more humorous and upbeat in tone, whereas my take on the world is intended to be more dark heroic fantasy. I may provide more details later on, but I will let the title be leaked: " **Age of Mobius** ".

Corny as all hell? Probably, but I give no f***s.


	5. Chapter 5: Sally's Gone!

**Chapter 5: "Sally's Gone!"**

Tails burst into Sonic's room with great panic. "Sonic! Wake up!" he shouted.

The hedgehog shot up in his bed, spines bristling. "What's going on?" he demanded, with a grumpy voice. He'd been having a wonderful dream, running over mountains and across lakes, never slowing or pausing to take in his dreamscape, just reveling in the freedom of the wind rushing through his quills and his feet churning in endless motion.

"Sally's gone!" Tails wheezed as he fought to catch his breath.

"What?!" Sonic jumped out of bed, all grumpiness instantly gone.

"I woke up and found… My keys… were gone," he explained. "I… went to tell Sally… but her room was empty… I can't find her anywhere!"

Sonic ran a hand through his spikes. It wasn't like Sally to disappear without a word to anyone like that. What in the world would drive her to such drastic actions? Then it hit him. She was getting back at him for disappearing over a year ago. "Dammit," he muttered.

"What should we do?" Tails asked, having settled somewhat.

"Nothing," Sonic replied simply and lied back down in his bed.

"What?" Tails asked full of disbelief.

"Nothing," Sonic repeated, "She's a grown woman and can make her own decisions."

"Shouldn't we go after her?"

"No. She needs time to get over my reappearance. It shook her pretty bad when I first returned, remember?"

"But-"

"Look, Tails, she left to try and hurt me. Wherever she is, she's safe. Besides, I have a rough idea of where she might be."

"Which is?"

"None of your concern. If we try to follow her, it's just gonna make her madder and do even more dangerous things. Believe me, she'll be back in a couple of days. She just needs to cool off."

Tails looked ready to argue more, but Sonic silenced him with a warning look. He stepped back slowly, gave Sonic a disappointed glare, and then left the room.

Sonic sighed and tried to fall back asleep.  
* * *

Knuckles set a bowl of fruit salad before Sally and one in front of Julie. The two were seated at a finely made wood table in Knuckles's cabin. The entire structure was full of quaint hand-carved furniture. The chairs, the table, the fireplace, all of it were lovingly crafted by the Guardians in generations past. It had an antique feel to it and was actually quite comfortable.

Knuckles seated himself between the two, picked up his fork, and started to eat. Sally and Julie also speared some fruit chunks and began to eat. The fruit was sweet, tangy, and obviously ripe. In fact, it was probably the best mango Sally had ever tasted. Knuckles may not have much skill with actually cooking anything, but he could make a mean fruit salad. Pineapple, mango, banana, kiwi, and grapes were all mixed into an exquisite entrée.

Julie plucked a grape out with her fingers and proffered it to her boyfriend. Knuckles obediently opened his mouth slightly and Julie popped the morsel in. He chewed it and grinned at Julie. She smiled back, leaned over, and gave him a peck on the lips. Sally dropped her gaze to her bowl and tried to focus on it as if it were the most interesting thing in the world; her appetite no longer present. She felt a bitter jealously rise up in her stomach, and instantly felt guilty. She shouldn't blame Julie for having a satisfying relationship, when she didn't.

It took a moment before she realized that Julie was talking to her. "Sorry. What were you saying?" Sally asked.

"I said, 'I'm glad you could visit us, Sally,'" Julie repeated.

"Oh, it's my pleasure, really," she replied. "Things have been pretty slow around the base," she continued.

"Really?" asked Knuckles. "I would've expected Sonic's return to have rocked more than a few boats. Er, no pun intended."

"Oh, believe me it did," she assured the crimson echidna. "In fact, that's actually part of why I came."

"Is it? And here I thought it was because you missed us," Knuckled joked, laughing at his own wit. Julie giggled a little bit too.

"No, I did miss you guys! It's been to stressful at camp, so I thought a little R&R with my friends would help take my mind off other matters."

"Well as we've already said, you're always welcome," Julie reaffirmed.

"Well, I'm not sure all of what we could do," Knuckles mused aloud, and effectively shifting the subject, "There's really not much to do here."

Sally grew a rather suggestive smile. "Am I to take it you two have been, let's say, romping around when you get bored?"

Julie and Knuckles both blushed deeply (although it almost blended in with their respective peach and red fur). "No, er, I mean- Not-" Knuckles stuttered, while Julie was at a complete loss for words.

Sally laughed and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm kidding! Just messing with you. Boy you two are easy!"

Julie relaxed a little, although Knuckles still looked uncomfortable about his potential sex life being mentioned. "We mostly lie around and watch clouds," Julie replied, carefully. "Although someone tends to fall asleep," she added, elbowing Knuckles gently.

"Well excuse me for nodding off on soft grass in the warm sun," he responded indignantly. "Sonic does it all the time, and gets away with it."

Sally tensed a little at the mention of Sonic's name. Fortunately, Julie picked up on the motion and tried to steer away from that particular subject. "Sally, you're our guest so I think you should decide what we should do," the pink echidna suggested.

"I don't mean to impose," Sally said, "If you have anything that needs to be done…"

"Nah, the duties of a Guardian can be dreadfully boring most days," Knuckles assured the chipmunk. "As long as I'm on the island, if an emergency were to arise, I can handle it; although I seriously doubt that."

"Well in that case, whatever you normally do is fine with me," Sally finished.

"Nope. We aren't going to squander your visit with child games, I have a little something I've been saving for such an occasion," Knuckles affirmed. He strode over the pantry, reached in, and produced a bottle of wine.

"How did you hide that from me?" Julie demanded.

"I hid it with the pots and pans," Knuckles answered as he returned to the table, "Lord knows you don't cook."

"Cheeky whelp," Julie huffed good-naturedly. Knuckles selected three crystal cups and placed them on the table. He took his corkscrew and removed the foil, screwed the cork, and pulled it out with an audible "pop!"

"Is it wise to drink so early?" Sally asked.

"Why not? It's five o'clock somewhere," Knuckles answered dismissively. "You visiting us by yourself is worth celebrating. For once, a calamity doesn't have to bring us together," he noted wryly.

Sally shrugged in acceptance. It was good enough reason for her. A little liquid courage might do her some good, besides Julie and Knuckles would be drinking with her. So she supposed that getting drunk first thing in the morning didn't constitute her being a drunkard.

Knuckles served the drink into the clear glasses and set the bottle aside. Julie and Sally picked up their chalices, and gave the blood-red liquid a small swirl. Knuckles picked up his and sniffed it expertly, Sally almost laughed at how noble-like he looked sampling his wine like an upper-classman. The three clinked glasses and sipped their drinks. The wine had a robust flavor typical of its kind.

After everyone downed their first glass, Knuckles courteously refilled each of their glasses and repeated the gesture. Knuckles and Julie finished before Sally, but patiently waited for the chipmunk to finish hers. Sally set the glass down and cleared her throat. "Wow. That's actually pretty good, what is it?"

"A bottle of a batch my grandfather, Sabre, made while he was Guardian," Knuckles told her, "There are quite a few barrels under the surface. I guess he found a hobby to do instead of being bored."

"Did your father know about it?"

"I'd imagine so, since Sabre was his father and mentor. Even if he hadn't told my dad, I'm sure he found it while he was Guardian. I swear that man knew everything about the island."

"Do you miss him?" Sally asked tentatively. She knew his father's whereabouts was a mystery to everyone and a touchy subject for the echidna. It was presumed that Locke was dead, and his ex-wife had remarried a wealthy businessman (also an echidna), but honestly, no one ever found his body.

"Sometimes. But it's been so long, if he wasn't dead, he would've returned already. I've had time to come to terms with it." Knuckles ignored social protocol and refilled his glass and downed it in one long gulp.

"Hey, now's not a time for sad thoughts," Julie interrupted, "We're supposed to be having fun."

"You're right, Jules," Sally agreed. "Any ideas on what else to do, other than getting drunk off our asses?"

"I have a pack of playing cards around here somewhere," offered Knuckles, only half-looking for them.

"Great, we can play Go Fish or Old Maid," Julie suggested.

"I was hoping for a more adult game," Sally protested.

"Poker?" Knuckles checked, suddenly looking kind of eager.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Here they are," Julie announced from the living room, pulling them out of table drawer.

"Great, let's play," Knuckles chuckled as he rubbed his palms together.

"What are we going to play for?" Sally questioned.

The trio thought for a while then Knuckles ventured hopefully, "Perhaps articles of clothing?"

Julie and Sally stared at the echidna then looked at each other and laughed hysterically. "Whoo-hoo! In your dreams, Knuxie!" Julie howled with mirth.

Sally put her head on the table and pounded it as she shook uncontrollably with laughter. They both laughed until tears rolled down their faces and their sides ached. Knuckles shrugged and tried to look nonchalant (rather unsuccessfully). "It was only a suggestion," he mumbled embarrassedly.

"I think Knux has got some rings lying around somewhere," Julie stated as she began a search for the said rings.

Sally still giggled a bit at Knuckles' absurd suggestion, and then a thought crossed her mind. A particularly dirty thought. If Knuckles was interested in both Sally and Julie, then maybe, just maybe, there was hope for Sally's plan after all. It would just take careful handling and manipulation. Something Sally had a definite talent for.

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** Another fine chapter from Promises. I guess this one could be labelled "saucy", but it's more suggestive than anything else. Oh, and for those of you who read the original (such as _GoldenBullet_ and _Random Guest_ ), stay tuned, I may just surprise you with the subsequent installments. I'm not giving any spoilers, but I have thought about changing the ending slightly. Cheers!

And now, in response to your reviews: thanks to all of you for your reviews. To _Mischevous Whisper_ , thank you for your review on Chapter 3, that was the kind of feel I was going for and I'm glad someone else got the same feeling reading it. To _GoldenBullet_ , in all honesty, this is pretty much a rewrite/edited version of the original, so I would think that it couldn't be any worse and only slightly better. Regardless, thank you and as I've said earlier, keep an eye on this as it progresses. You may notice a few tweaks later in. And finally to _Random Guest_ , I think I saw your review on the old story and it shocked me to find that people were still stumbling across this old relic after I left for an extended period of time. IMO, if this is the best fanfic you've read, you probably just haven't read many. I would say this fic is in the top 50%, maybe, but not in the top 10%. In any case, it really improves my self-esteem with your opinion on my characterization of the said characters. Moving on, I agree that it is **very** frustating with the way many fanfic writers portray their characters (especially Sally, Knux, and Sonic, among others). You could say my frustration with poorly made fanfics is part of what prompted me to write my own. Knux lusting after Rouge wasn't a big one for me; it was mostly either him being portrayed as an idiot or as a straight up asshole. Also the idea that he's some super cool guy that's lucky with ladies is false. He's cool, yeah, and may be a chick magnet, but he's also kinda naïve and uncomfortable around most women (as a result of his isolation on Angel Island). So when a girl hits on him, he often doesn't register the hidden message or misinterprets it. I don't expect to change the entire fandom's view on Knuckles, but one grain of rice can tip the scales. I just want to create the best portrait for Knuckles possible.

Continuing, I have tried my hand at a crack couple. The result was "The Mobian Experience", which, for the moment, is complete. It's Knuckles x Nicole and was postively received, I'm pleased to say. If you're interested, check it out on my profile page. In the second part of that section, I am working on a new setting for the characters in my "Age of Mobius", which will probably be up in Nov. or Dec. It's a fantasy/adventure series divided into seasons and updated in episodes. Currently, I have at least five seasons planned, and may extend it to six or seven depending on whether I can think of a reasonable foe for the heroes to face. The main cast will be: Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Tails, Shadow, Dr. Robotnik, and a smattering of extra OCs. It will also have my own fursona/OC in it as a major recurring character. Let's see if I can generate some hype for it. And finally, I try to avoid high school romances (mainly because they're overused, cliché, and often has nothing to do with canon), but I may test my skill with it later on.

*Wheeze* I think that's longwinded enough for me. See you all later, TheEpicTales.

* * *

 **Bonus! My Original Author's Note:**

 **Author's Note:** Wow! I actually did it faster than I anticipated; it took me only slightly over an hour. So Sonic is onto Sally's game, but the poor guy has no idea what she plans to do while she's gone. Tails is even more disappointed in his hero. I don't know where Cream and Amy are yet… Maybe they're still sleeping? Julie is unsuspecting of Sally's motives, but for how long? And what about Knuckles?! He seems a bit perverted in this chapter. I'm thinking he is actually kind of serious about a three-way but we can't be sure. He could be very well just being a horny teenage boy. Anyways, it is here that I official draw the line and say that this fanfic has crossed over into the T Zone. You can probably expect lemonyness to consistently appear in later chapters. Enjoy.


	6. Chapter 6: Pair of Kings

**Chapter 6: Pair of Kings:**

After a few minutes of looking, Julie found the sack of rings in a desk drawer. Making a quick count, she declared that they had 74 to split three ways. The pink echidna made three piles of 24. The extra two were put back in the bag and set aside. Knuckles took the cards out and began to shuffle the worn deck with a practiced ease. Sally watched him mix and cut the deck over and over again. She guessed that he had plenty of practice considering he had little to do while he lived in total isolation for nearly a decade.

Once Knuckles reckoned he had shuffled them adequately, he set them face down in the center of the table while Julie pushed the meager piles of gold rings towards the players. "I think since we have only so much to play with," Julie ventured, "That we don't place a minimum and set a maximum of… say, 10 rings?" Sally and Knuckles nodded their agreement.

"I guess I'll deal first," Knuckles said. "What are we playing? Five card draw or Texas hold-em?"

Julie looked at Sally. "Either is fine by me. Which do you want to play, Sal?"

"Well, I don't know how to play, er, what was it?"

"Texas Hold-em?"

"Yeah, that. But I could try."

"Alrighty then, Texas it is!" Knuckles declared. He cut the deck a second time, passed two cards to each of them including himself facedown and hidden, then set back to take a peek at his hand. Sally and Julie followed suit then set the cards back down. "I'll start the bet at two rings," he announced as he placed the said rings in front of him.

Sally glanced at her cards again. An ace of spades and seven of diamonds. Not sure what that was worth, she decided to go ahead and meet (or check) the bet. She pushed her two rings forward. Julie agreed with that bet and added her two rings. Knuckles reached over and flipped the top three cards over. A five of clubs, an ace of hearts, and a king of spades.

Sally thought for a moment. There was ace there and an ace in her hand. An one pair wasn't too bad.

Knuckles grinned a bit and pushed another ring forward. "I raise the pot by one."

Julie checked her hand a second time then sighed and pushed her hand away. "I fold," she announced.

Knuckles turned to Sally.

"What about you?"

"Hmm. I'll go ahead and check it," she decided.

"Alright, betting is closed. Let's see them."

Sally flipped her hand over showing her one pair. Knuckles snickered a bit and revealed his three of a kind. He had two fives, one of diamonds and another of hearts. "Looks like I win this one." He scooped the rings up and added them to his pool.

Sally sighed, somewhat disappointed about losing this round, but knowing her luck would likely change. Knuckles reshuffled the deck and dealt a fresh hand. Sally downed her glass of wine and refilled it. Time to start winning.  
*

Sometime later, after several hands, Julie ended up losing all her rings and was forced to watch Sally and Knuckles go back and forth while sipping what was left of the wine. Knuckles had nearly all the rings, which was surprising considering he sucked at poker. Perhaps he'd been practicing with Vector and them? Regardless, Sally was beginning to get desperate.

Knuckles dealt the new hand. Sally peeked at her hand. Good; it was two kings. One was a diamond and the other was a club. She glanced at Knuckles who appeared somewhat unhappy with his lot. Good, this was definitely good.

Knuckles put two rings in the pot and Sally followed suit. Knuckles flipped the top three cards, but Sally made a note to watch his reaction. His face lit up in the slightest of shades. Oh no. Sally looked at the cards. It was an ace of hearts, a king of spades, and a queen of clubs. This could be bad. Sally checked her hand. Well, she had three of a kind, but if he did have a straight, it would beat her.

She only had five rings counting the two she had already placed to bet with. 'Fuck it,' she thought. "I raise by three," she announced, with an 'I don't care' look.

Knuckles looked at her with surprise. "You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, well are you going to meet?"

Knuckles grinned kind of evilly. "I'll do more than that. I'll raise it by the whole pool," he countered.

"What! I can't meet that!" Sally argued.

"That is pretty unsportsmanlike," Julie agreed.

"Well, she can offer something else," Knuckles suggested.

"Like what?" asked Julie.

"Whatever she wants, as long as I deem it worthy," Knuckles replied.

Sally pondered for a moment. She didn't bring anything of value except Tails's plane, but she seriously doubted the fox would appreciate her betting it for the equivalent of 72 rings. Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. She beckoned the echidna closer, much to Julie's confusion. Knuckles listened intently as Sally whispered an offer into his ear. Julie secretly hoped that it wasn't what she thought Sally might be suggesting. Although she knew Knuckles wouldn't willingly be unfaithful, it still bugged her that someone might be trying to seduce him right in front of her as she wasn't there.

Of course, Julie should be more used to the idea of promiscuity considering her heritage in the Dark Legion, where it wasn't uncommon for several hundred echidnas to be related closely or distantly due to their peculiar family arrangements. Regardless, it still rubbed Julie the wrong way.

Knuckles grinned eagerly and shook his head. Julie had to bite her tongue from lashing out for something that might not even really exist. Knuckles and Sally eyed each other than flipped over their hands. Sally had her three of a kind, but as it turned out Knuckles did have a straight. He had a two of clubs and three of diamonds. 'Damn. He wasn't bluffing,' Sally internally grumbled. But this played well into her plan.

"Alright, you win," Sally conceded, "Time to claim your prize." She stood, and Julie leapt up.

"Don't you-!" she started, but was cut off when Sally placed her mouth over Julie's. Julie was utterly shocked, but let Sally in. Knuckles sat there staring with his mouth slightly agape. The red echidna could scarcely believe the reality of what was happening before him. He'd thought of it in the past, of course, but never in his wildest dreams had he considered the possibilty of it actually happening.

Sally worked it, and ran her hands through Julie's locks while Julie's hands dangled helplessly by her sides. The tang of the citrus fruit was still lingering, and Sally could pick up on it. After a good minute or so, Sally pulled away and turned to Knuckles. "Satisfied?"

Knuckles shifted his legs, hoping to conceal something and shook his head agreeably. Sally sat and took the bottle and drank the last few sips left at the bottom. Julie however, just stood there dumbly, not quite finished processing this odd turn of events.

"Ah-hem, well, I have to go get some firewood before it gets dark," Knuckles excused himself. Julie blinked out of her stupor and glanced out the window. The sky was beginning to turn golden as the sun set in the far horizon.

"I'll go with you," Sally offered as she stood up yet again and crossed the room over to the echidna.

"Ok, I'll stay here," Julie told them. She sat back down, not quite trusting the integrity of her knees.

Knuckles and Sally left the cabin.  
* * *

Cream was crying and Amy and Vanilla did their best to comfort the little bunny. "Hush, Creamie, darling," Vanilla soothed as she stroked her daughter's headfur.

"Miss Sally said she wasn't going anywhere," she whimpered, "but now she's gone. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, darling."

"Hey, c'mon Cream, help me make dinner," Amy suggested, hoping to distract her. "We can't let the boys starve. We wouldn't want that right?"

"N-no," Cream stammered. She wiped her tears away and tried to smile. "Ok. Let's help Miss Amy cook, Mommy."

Vanilla gave the pink hedgehog a grateful look and let her daughter lead her to the kitchen. Amy started to follow, but was grabbed by Tails. "Amy, wait," he said.

"What?"

"We need to find Sally," he explained.

"Tails, you know what Sonic said," Amy began.

"I don't care!" he shot back. "We need her. She's our leader, not him. The longer she's gone, the more vulnerable we are and she is. It's only a matter of time before Eggman catches wind of this and takes his chance."

Amy sighed. "And how exactly do propose we find her? She took the Tornado and could be anywhere by now," she pointed out.

"Maybe, but I found this in her room on the dresser," he said as he flashed a faded photograph.

"You were snooping in her room?" Amy asked appalled.

"That's beside the point," he retorted short-temperedly. "Who are those two on the picture, I ask you?"

Amy took the picture and squinted at the image. "Looks like… Sally… and Knuckles?"

"Yeah. And it must've been taken quite awhile ago, if the condition is any clue."

"But Sally never told us that they were friends that long ago."

"Well, that's not true," Tails admitted.

"What! You mean she talked about this before?"

"Yeah, you were kinda absent for that, with Eggman kidnapping you and all."

"And nobody bothered to tell me?"

"It didn't seem important at the time."

"That was years ago! You would think that it might come up in the conversation at some point!"

"Well it didn't. Besides you're missing the point again! Sally must've went to Angel Island."

"So? Knuckles and Julie are there last I heard; they'll keep her safe."

"That's basically what Sonic said."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we're leaderless and Sonic doesn't care because he's too busy fighting with her."

Amy was about to argue more when Cream called from the kitchen, "Are you coming, Miss Amy?"

"Yes, Creamie!" Amy called over her shoulder; turning back to Tails she shook her head. "If Sally needed to get away that badly, then perhaps it's for the best that she's gone."

"But-"

"It's for the best," Amy repeated a little more firmly. With that, she turned on her heel and proceeded to the kitchen. Tails stood there awhile longer scowling after the hedgehog. He looked once more at the photograph and hoped that Sally didn't do something she'd regret.

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** Still no major changes to the main story, but I'm currently rewriting the next chapter with a special segment featuring a little Knux x Sally. Well, rewrite is a little strong considering I'm not doing it from scratch, just re-editing it mostly. After all? How could one little kiss change things? On a side note, I'm still not sure how well I pulled of the poker scene, considering I've never played poker in my life and had to skim through Wikipedia when writing it the first time. That said, my favorite part was the scene where Sally kissed Julie-Su. I gotta admit, it's pretty hot, right fellas? I think Julie and Sally are the only characters I could see willing to engage in a little "experimentation", unlike Amy and Rouge, or Sally and Nicole. What are your guys' thoughts?

~TheEpicTales

* * *

 **Bonus! Original Author's Note:**

 **Author's Note:** For this chapter I had to do a little research on how to play Texas Hold-em. Thank you, Wikipedia! Anyways, I skipped a couple rules and probably botched the game completely from a gambler's point of view, but oh well. Hm, story-wise Sally has decided on the sneaky way of trying to get at Knuckles it would appear, playing on his fantasies. Originally she had intended on coming clean about her motives, but that just wouldn't do. Oh, Julie is getting jealous, but still giving Sally a fair chance. She doesn't want to come across as a total controlling and jealousy-bitten bitch of a girlfriend. Tails has been completely disillusioned of his former mentor, Sonic. He seems to have a rough idea of what Sally means to do, but is powerless to stop it. Now for credit to Julie's upbringing in the Dark Legion where promiscuity is commonplace, belongs to Soul Ender. Yes, I did skim over your story Chaos, Order, and Balance last night. I promise I will read it thoroughly once I get the chance. It looks great and well-crafted. Werewolf lover99, I'm not sure yet if your characters will make a second appearance, but if there is another flashback, then they should. Until then, read on.


	7. Chapter 7: As Night Falls

**Chapter 7: As Night Falls:**

Knuckles wandered in the darkening jungle, selecting adequately sized sticks and logs when he could find them, while Sally followed a bit more slowly. "So I take it, you enjoyed that little kiss?" Sally asked.

Knuckles hesitated before answering, as he studied another stick as if it was particularly interesting. When he did answer, it was almost inaudible. "Well, erm… Yes, I did," he mumbled. He was thankful that he was facing away so Sally couldn't see his blush.

"I thought so, if your initial reaction was any clue," Sally remarked smugly.

"Well, normally I don't ask for such things, but alcohol can make me do and say some pretty weird things."

"I didn't think it was weird. In fact, I kinda enjoyed it myself," Sally admitted.

Knuckles flushed a deeper crimson as other dirty ideas came to mind. He struggled to repress them, but they still lingered. It wasn't right of him to fantasize about his friend like that. He was in a relationship already, and so was Sally. Speaking of which… "Do you think Sonic would mind about that thing you did back there?" he wondered.

Sally stopped short and snorted. "Honestly, I couldn't care less what Sonic minds me doing or not. As far as I'm concerned, we're through."

"Oh yeah, you talked about that when you first got here," Knuckles recalled. "What exactly did he do to piss you off so much?"

"Remember when we thought he was dead?"

"Of course; how forgetful do you think I am?"

"Well, since he came back, he's completely refused to apologize to anyone. He won't even tell us where he's been!"

"Well, I hate to be the devil's advocate, but maybe he has a good reason for doing so. I can't imagine what that could be, but we should still give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Maybe… But he's just acting like nothing is wrong and it never happened. What he doesn't seem to realize is that it can never go back to the way it was."

"Why not?"

"Because… Because… Look, it just can't alright?"

"Ok, whatever you say. But I think we should be glad that he's safe and sound. I may have stepped in for him while he was gone, but even I know I never could've replaced him. Not that I even wanted to."

"Actually he accused you of doing just that."

"What? Replacing him?"

"Yeah. That it was your dream to take the spotlight after his death, which wasn't even real."

Knuckles snorted dismissively. "We all know how much of an attention hog Sonic is, so it doesn't surprise me that he would point the finger at me. I'd kick his ass any day of the week if he wanted a fight."

"I know you would, but all the same, it was rude and uncalled for."

"Maybe, but I really don't care. Besides, what I really want to know is what you plan to do now, relationship-wise I mean."

"Oh, well, I haven't thought much about that," she lied.

"That so? The absolutely perfect princess doesn't have a plan?" Knuckles mocked jokingly.

Sally slugged his shoulder and retorted with, "You know more than anyone else that I'm not perfect. And I'm not a control freak either."

Knuckles rubbed the spot she hit gently, but still wore his grin. "Ah, I was just kidding."

He shuffled the wood in his arms and looked it over. "I think we got enough, let's head back." He led the way back towards the cabin. Sally followed empty-handed and a hollow opened in her stomach. She might miss her chance if she waited too long, best to introduce the idea now rather than later.

"Knuckles?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember when we were kids?"

"Like it was yesterday."

"I've been thinking about that a lot recently."

"Have you now? Is all this drama making you go for a trip down 'Memory Lane'?"

"Something like that."

"Well, what about it?"

"It makes me realize who my real friends are."

"And I take it I'm one of them?"

"Pretty much the only one, more like it."

"What?" Knuckles stopped and glanced at Sally. The chipmunk had her head down and scuffed the leaves up with her boots. "What about Amy, or Tails, or Bunnie?"

"Tails is too young, Amy and I used to be intense rivals, and I haven't heard from Bunnie in years."

"So I'm really you're only true friend? And I thought I was lonely."

"Shut up! I'm serious. When Sonic 'died', you came to our rescue. No one asked you to, you just did. Even when Sonic and I were having problems or arguing, you were always there to listen and be my shoulder to cry on. How many people do you think I let see me cry?"

Knuckles opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Sally pushed on. "I remember the fun we used to have when we were kids and how happy I was to see you after all those years. And unless I'm mistaken, you were pretty happy too."

"Of course I was," Knuckles said, finding his voice, "My best friend I thought had abandoned me like everyone else turned out to be leading a revolt against that idiot, Robotnik. Never had I ever imagined that you were just busy hiding. I had just assumed that I was destined to live and die alone on this damn island forever. I will never forget that moment when you turned around in that chair and I saw you for the first time in over 10 years."

"Good. Then you know how I felt… more or less."

"But why are you bringing up such painful memories?"

Sally gulped, not quite intending to reveal this much so soon. Knuckles stared at her expectantly. Damn it, she had no choice. Summoning up her courage, she took a deep breath. "I… I… I just…"

"Yes?"

"I love you, Knuckles. I always have, though I didn't know it before."

And then, for all her planning and doubts, Knuckles did the one thing she least expected. He kissed her. It seemed so sudden and out-of-nowhere. One moment, he was standing about a foot away, and the next, he was standing just centimeters from her face as he looked down at her with something mixed between repressed lust and buried passion. Silently, without speaking, the two's lips met and parted as if their own volition. It was already fifteen seconds into it when Sally's mind cleared the fog that was settling in her brain and she gently pushed the echidna away. Knuckles opened his eyes slowly and gave the chipmunk a confused and slightly hurt expression.

"Sal? What's wrong?" he asked.

For the first time in her life, Sally couldn't find the words to express her reluctance, yet forced herself anyways. "Nothing... Except..." Failing, Sally's face screwed up in a pang of guilt and shame. Turning away from Knuckles, Sally tried to hold back her tears, yet her emotions weren't willing to cooperate.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, Knuckles's face was soft with obvious concern. "Sally," he said softly, "It's alright."

Sally shook her head as the first teardrop broke free. "No, it's not. Here I am, driving a wedge between you and Julie for my own selfish reasons." She turned her gaze towards Knuckles with her eyes glistening in the starlight. "That's why I really came here. Not just to get away from Sonic, but-" She broke off, unable to hold it back any further. Throwing herself against Knuckles, she wept bitterly on his shoulder. "Oh god, I'm so stupid! I'm sorry, Knuckles."

Pulling the chipmunk back for an instant, Knuckles gazed directly in her eyes as he shook his head and smiled warmly. "For what? You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"But... what about Julie?"

Knuckles thought for a moment. "I think she'll understand."

Sally kept silent, unwilling to share Knuckles's optomism.

"She grew up in the Dark Legion remember? Things are... well, a little different there." Drawing her closer once again, Knuckles murmured softly in her ear. "Just let me think of a good way to break it to her."

"You mean... dump her? For me?" Sally paused. "I couldn't let you do that to her."

Knuckles chuckled softly. "No. I mean, tell her about the newest member of our affair."

Sally stood there silently, supporting herself on the taller mobian. Was he implying a three-way love triangle? That's what it appeared to be, but... could she and Julie adapt to that? After a moment's thought, she realized she could, if only it meant she had at least someone to stand by her in her darkest times. But, Julie...

She gave up trying to predict how Julie would take to the idea. A chance at happiness was still better than missing out on the oppurtunity wasn't it? Of course it was. She didn't know how it would turn out or whether it would last long, but she was willing to take any chance that presented itself. A life with no chances taken was a life not worth living.

At length, Knuckles eventually released her and pried himself away as gently as he could. "We should probably head back," he told her, "Julie will start to wonder where we wandered off to."

Sally blinked for a moment, not quite willing to let the feeling of comfort and reassurance pass just yet, but she realized that Knuckles was right and reluctantly nodded. Bending over to pick up the discarded wood Knuckles had dropped during their kiss, Sally followed Knuckles as he lead her back to the small cabin that he and Julie shared.

* * *  
Knuckles and Sally entered the darkening cabin and found Julie sitting on the couch. "Oh, you're back," she greeted as she stood up and walked over to help relieve some of the burden they carried. She smiled at Knuckles but gave Sally a strange look, as if unsure how to respond to her presence. Sally felt the familiar pang of guilt strike her in the gut once again as she thought back to what she and Knuckles had just done, yet tried to not let it show.

Knuckles walked over to the fire place and began to place some tinder and logs in the base. Julie reseated herself and Sally walked over to the green furnishing. The only fabric covered furniture piece in the room. Julie gestured for her to sit and Sally obeyed, yet a wall of unease remained between them. Knuckles made a spark and fanned it into a small flame. "There we go, a nice roaring fire started," he announced and looked rather proud of it.

Julie nodded appreciatively and Sally tried to form a friendly smile. Knuckles glanced between the two females and let a roguish smile cross his face. "Nice, a seat right between my two favorite gals," he said, blissfully unaware of the awkward atmosphere between the two females. Taking his seat, Knuckles laid back and put his arms around both Sally and Julie, drawing them closer to himself.

Initially, when he touched her shoulder, Sally flinched, as if worried that the friendly gesture could be misinterpreted by Julie. Her slight shock was quickly assuaged when the other echidna didn't seem to notice and instead brought her head to rest on Knuckles's shoulder. Relaxing, Sally let herself do the same, but firmly reminded herself to keep her hands to herself. For the time being.

Sitting in silence, the three simply enjoyed each other's company and gradually, the unspoken feeling of unease and awkwardness dissipated. Sally wordlessly marveled at the red echidna's ability to make even the most uncomfortable circumstances almost peaceful. She found her thoughts, fears, and inhibitions slowly bleed away as she drank in the warmth of the fire and his body as well as his familiar scent. Strong, masculine, but still warm and inviting. She even thought she could become intoxicated by it. Before she even realized it, she had begun to drift off and snooze when Knuckles stirred slightly and removed himself from between them.

Standing up, Knuckles turned to look at the mentally and physically exhausted females as he yawned and smiled tiredly. "Well, I'm ready for bed." He paused. "Unfortunately, seeing as how I don't have a guest bed because I rarely have guests, Jules and I will have to get cozy on the floor. Normally, I'd prefer the altar, but it might get chilly tonight and I'd like to keep Sal company. Jules?"

Julie nodded. "Fine by me."

Sally spoke up. "Er, what about me? Where do I sleep?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Anywhere you want. Although, I'd recommend the couch, it's **slightly** more comfortable than the floor or altar."

"If you guys want, I can sleep on the floor, and-" began Sally, half-standing before Julie interrupted her.

"Nonsense. You're our guest. And besides, Knux and I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Standing up quickly and walking over to the armoire on the west wall, Julie opened the doors, reached in, and produced two large comforters. Handing one to Sally, Julie laid the other on the floor and grabbed the thin blanket on the back of the couch.

Kicking off his shoes and removing his gloves, Knuckles settled down on top of the comforter as he waited for Julie to do the same. Sally gazed with interest at his bare hands, within her memory she had never seen them without his iconic mittens. Just like his fur, the top of his hand were red and the fingers were tough and powerful. Yet, the more interesting thing were his knuckles, namely the ones he was named after. They appeared to be slightly-discolored bone in type, with sharp, wicked points and lethally long. Previously, she had thought they were part of his gloves' design, but now she clearly saw they were a part of his body and she wondered how dangerous they would be without his gloves. Perhaps it was best that he did, she reasoned.

Once Julie had removed her boots, gloves, and belt, she settled in next to Knuckles and pulled the blanket over them. The hot pink echidna glanced up Sally with a wry smile. "So, are you going to dress down or just sit there staring at us all night?" she asked, not unkindly.

Startled, Sally blinked once more and nodded. "Oh. Uh, yeah, just give me a moment." Reaching down, Sally removed her blue boots and set them neatly beside the couch. Next, she doffed her jean jacket, folded it neatly, and set it on the side table near the head of the couch. It was strange, she felt somewhat naked without her jacket, yet the idea was absurd. Most mobians went unclothed to begin with, such as Sonic and Knuckles. Even some females went with minimal garments, like Julie and herself. Mobian anatomy allowed for that, since their "sensitive" parts weren't identical to overlanders. It was also cultural, since their ancestors, just normal animals, went without clothing, the mobian species didn't usually find nudity itself obscene or erotic in most cases. It was overlander influence that made it as if females in particular had something to be ashamed of and had to cover themselves up. Others, like Amy and Bunnie, had worn clothes just for fashion statements rather than any actual need or reason to. Regardless, she still felt a little self-concious about her bareness as she covered herself with the comforter Julie had given her. It did not, however, go unnoticed by Sally with Knuckles sneaking a quick glance. Sometimes, the thought of seeing more than one usually did was enough to generate interest, even when most things went uncovered ninety percent of the time.

Lying down Sally stared up at the wall for moment, before managing a "Good night," to her friends. The two likewise returned the phrase and silence once again settled in as the shadows danced with the light from the fire. Within moments, Julie was asleep and Knuckles evidently joined her seconds later. It took Sally a little longer as she reflected on all that had happened today. Her flight, her arrival, the poker game, the kiss with Julie, gathering wood with Knuckles, and... the kiss. Slowly, putting a finger to her lips, Sally brushed the surface lightly as she let out a small, half-ashamed smile. He **had** kissed her. That moment had been the highlight of her life up to this point. No longer did she worry what tomorrow the next several days would bring. She simply found solace in the knowledge that Knuckles **did** find her attractive and was willing to risk his relationship with Julie just for a chance to pursue one with her. Even all her guilt and remorse kept silent as they let her enjoy the feeling of peace she had been looking for ever since that day, one year ago.

Amy watched Vanilla stroke Cream's headfur gently as the little bunny slept. Amy wondered what it must feel like to be a mother. She imagined it was a warm and fuzzy feeling. Of course, she had lots of experience with kids, but it still wasn't the same. "Vanilla?" she asked softly, not wanting to disturb the slumbering child.

"Yes, dear?"

"What is it like to be a mother?"

Vanilla looked up from her daughter briefly and met Amy's green eyes. "It's the most wonderful feeling in the world," she answered carefully. "You experience childhood a second time through your child's. You feel their joy, their pain, and their pride. There is nothing more rewarding than when you see you child grow up from an infant to an adult."

"Do you think I'll be a good mother someday?"

"Yes, someday. But you need to be sure that the one you have a child with is going to be involved with its life and even then, only when you know for certain that you're ready for the responsibility."

"How will I know?"

"When the time comes, you'll know. Trust me. The first moment you hold your child will be an unforgettable moment that will last forever."

"I hope I find the right man soon," Amy said wistfully.

Vanilla giggled quietly. "He'll turn up sooner or later," she promised. "Until then, I appreciate you helping with Cream."

"It's my pleasure," Amy said, "She's so kind and sweet. You've done a great job of raising her."

"Yes, no parent is perfect. All they can do is try their best and hope that the kid comes out alright."

Amy nodded sagely and lingered a while longer. "Would you like to sleep with me and Cream?" Vanilla offered.

"Oh. Um, sure, I would like that." Amy was already clad in her pink nightie and Vanilla wore footie pajamas like Cream's but much larger. She slipped in to the wide bed on Cream's left side and Vanilla pulled the covers over herself on Cream's other side. "Good night, Vanilla."

"Good night, Amy," Vanilla repeated, leaned over and kissed Cream's forehead softly (who hugged her Chao doll tighter in response), and turned out the light.

Elsewhere, Tails sat on the roof of the main building and stared at the twinkling stars. He was watching for shooting stars on the foolish hope that one might grant his wish for things to go back to the way they were before Sonic disappeared. Tails had never felt so lonely before. He had no hero, his leader deserted him, and his best friend betrayed his trust. He sighed and lay back on the grass covered roof. The sky of stars glittering above him, he let exhaustion overcome him.

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** How about that? A pretty major change in the flow from the original story, eh? Didn't I tell you guys that you were going to be surprised or didn't I? I like this change, it's fresh, new, and risky. Ah! The oppurtunities and possiblities are endless. Granted, this particular entry may constitute a complete rewrite of the subsequent chapters, but to hell with it! I came this far, let's see where this route takes us. Going off on a tangent here, what did you guys think of the kiss? _Random Guest_? _GoldenBullet_? _Mischevous Whisper_? I'm looking at you guys especially, since you are my most dedicated readers and chief reviewers. To everyone else, you might not understand why this kiss is so important to me, so I'll explain breifly. In the original, Sally admitted her feelings to Knuckles, but his reaction was... less than favorable. It lead into a bit of a moral and ethical quandary that was resolved by Chapter Nine of the original. Yet, this kiss changes several things. If you want to see what the original was like in its untouched form, head to my profile and it's listed under my "Favorite Stories". Aside from all that, I would also like to take a minute to talk about a few lines in here that I wrote.

"A life with no chances taken was a life not worth living."

This is a well-known opinion on life. Carpe Diem (Seize the Day), "live each day to the fullest", etc. What it essentially boils down to is, when you lie on your deathbed and recall your life story, how many missed oppurtunities are you going to regret letting pass you by? It could be career related, or more personal, even romantic. If there is anything you want to try, dodn't worry about failing or "not being the best", just be the best **you** can be. Life is precious, everyday brings so much promise and hope to everybody. Regardless of how bad or tough your life may be, there is always an oppurtunity to turn it around and improve upon it. So take a chance; ask that cute girl or guy out, splurge on a new dress or an extra slice of cake, go out and meet new people and learn new things. Live your life to the fullest, because there is no telling when it could be over.

"Sally wordlessly marveled at the red echidna's ability to make even the most uncomfortable circumstances almost peaceful. "

Less of a wise proverb and more of an opinion on relationships and the importance of friends. When I get asked about friends, I reply that I keep a small group of close friends and the rest as acquaintances. Think of as, would you rather have four quarters or a hundred pennies? The indidvidual value of your friends is important. How many of your Facebook friends would lend you money? Or come pick you up when your car breaks down? Most "friends" would say tough luck or offer barely felt sympathies. But those true friends, the ones who would, are the diamonds and deserve to be kept close. From time to time, we all need somebody to lean on and its undescribable when that friend is willing to be that shoulder to cry on when you need one. Just my opinions.

"It was strange, she felt somewhat naked without her jacket, yet the idea was absurd."

This tangent was off-topic, I'm willing to admit, yet I felt as if it was worth bringing up. So as _Random Guest_ has pointed out, a lot (I mean, **a lot** ), of writers and "fans" of the Sonic series typically write off Sally as either a mega-bitch or super-slut, neither of which is true or even remotely grounded in truth. Ever see images floating around Google featuring the "Sally-style" of dressing female characters in the Sonic Universe? I can understand to a point why many people equate Sally's minimalistic dress code with basic nudity, but honestly, she is more animal than human, isn't she? Do these people dress their pets? And I'm not just talking about itchy sweaters and stupid costumes, I mean, literally covering their pets from head to toe with unnecessary garments. Wouldn't that be stupid? And how about those animals? They would be miserable in those hot, restrictive garments. The other fact is, literally ninety-nine percent of the males in Sonic don't wear clothes, so why is Sally being singled out and attacked for it? Most of it is bias and bigotry. I hate it when women are targeted for doing anything men can get away with and visa-versa. It's bullshit, and it should stop. In my opinion, the Sally redesign for Archie was unnecessary and just another corporation bowing to social pressure. I love Sally's orginal design, and in my mind, that will always be Sally. There are more reasons why Sally is hated by a large portion of the fans, but I can get to those later, perhaps on my profile page. In any case, what are your thoughts on the sexism in, not just Sonic, but the grand majority of furry-related series and artwork? Sally's redesign (yes, I know I'm a little late debating it, but I'm still interested in what others have to say)? Sally herself as a character? Let's start a discussion.

Whelp, I think that sums up my thoughts for this chapter. Keep them reviews coming and stay awesome, you guys.

~TheEpicTales


	8. Chapter 8: Broken Promises

**Chapter 8: Broken Promises:**

In his dark room, Sonic tossed and turned on his mattress, but no matter what position he laid in, he couldn't seem to get comfortable. He glanced at his clock on the bedside table. The red lights glared 12:30 a.m.

Giving up, he cast the sheets onto the floor and went to the kitchen for a snack. He browsed the fridge, yet had no appetite for anything. He shook his head and started to head back to his quarters. He halted outside Sally's door and, on impulse, entered.

He took a few steps in and looked around. It seemed untouched , as he did not know about Tails' earlier intrusion. A sudden pang hit him in the chest, like his heart being violently ripped out. For the first time in his life, he felt sorry for himself. He finished crossing the room and sat on the edge of Sally's bed, neatly made even though she had left in the middle of the night. He thought he could still smell her scent, but that was impossible, he must've been imagining it.

Noticing the framed portrait on Sally's table resting on its face, he picked it up and studied it. A fresh wave of sadness washed over him as he was reminded of a time before the team drifted apart. He felt something wet and hot run down his face. Slowly, he reached up and put his hand on his cheek. When he observed his hand, he found a damp spot on his white gloves.

With a start, he realized he was actually crying. The mighty hero was brought low. He no longer bothered to repress his emotions any longer. He just let his tears fall upon the protective glass covering the picture as he tenderly stroked Sally's image. His sobs occasionally rose in volume before falling once more.  
***

Amy twitched in her sleep as an indistinct sound reached her sensitive ears. When it didn't stop, she reluctantly sat up. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she glanced at Cream and Vanilla. Both rabbits were slumbering blissfully unaware. If it wasn't them, then where was it coming from?

Slipping out of bed, Amy padded out into the hallway. Listening intently, she discerned it came from two doors down on the left. Sally's room? Frowning, she shuffled down the hall groggily, putting her hands on the wall supportively as to avoid bumping into them.

She reached Sally's open door and peered inside. She saw Sonic hunched over a picture frame and his shoulders rose up and down erratically. Wordlessly, she slipped inside and walked over to the hedgehog and put a comforting hand gently on his shoulder. Sonic flinched and looked up with a startled expression. "Oh, Ames; it's only you," he said, his voice barely more than a hoarse whisper.

"Sonic? Are you all-right?" she asked, instantly awake.

"Yes… No… I don't know," he answered.

"Want to talk about it?"

Sonic nodded weakly.

"Is it about Sally?"

"Yes."

"I bet you miss her."

Sonic nodded again and showed Amy the picture he was holding before he spoke. "But more than that, I miss the way things were before. Ya know? Before we fell apart."

Amy felt a twinge of empathy for her idol. "We all do," she told him.

Sonic shook his head. "But I'm the one who messed it all up. If I hadn't of faked my death, then maybe, just maybe, Bunnie and Ant and all of them might still be with us. I scared them away."

"Look, Sonic. You can't blame yourself. Bunnie and Antoine had been talking about leaving the force to settle down long before you supposedly died. It wasn't your fault."

Sonic wasn't convinced. "I tried my best, Ames. I really did. I thought it was for the best, but I was wrong and I let my foolish pride get between me and Sal. I thought I was freer than ever since Sal was the only real thing tying me down, but now…" his voice failed him.

"It's not too late, you know? You can still get her back."

"Ya think so?"

"I do. If Sally really loves you, and I'm sure she does, she'll forgive you. But you have to do it before you lose her to someone else."

"Then what am I waiting for? I've got to get her." Sonic wiped the tear stains off of his face and stood up.

"Wait," Amy cried. She pulled him back down. "You can't go tonight. Everyone's asleep. Wait until morning," she suggested.

Sonic stared at the pink hedgehog for a few moments then nodded tersely. "First thing in the morning I'm off," he agreed.

"Oh, not so fast you aren't. I'm making pancakes for breakfast tomorrow and you are going to eat if I have to tie you down!" Amy retorted with a broad smile.

Despite his lingering depression, Sonic smiled back and lay down in Sally's bed. Within minutes, sleep finally came to him. Amy lingered for a bit, then ever so gently placed a kiss on his forehead and left him to sleep in peace.  
* * *

 _Knuckles, now seven years old, lay panting in grass of a flower field with Sally. The two were utterly exhausted from a day full of raucous play. This particular trip was one of pleasure. The war with Robotnik seemed to be going well, as a temporary cease-fire had been called. However, the two were ignorant of the kingdom's troubles and were enjoying watching clouds roll by high in the sky. Gradually, Knuckles reached out and touched Sally's hand. She opened it and received his. They held hands and simply enjoyed each other's presence._

 _"Are we alone?" asked Sally._

 _Knuckles turned to look at his friend. "Yeah, I think so."_

 _"Good, because I have something to give you," said Sally._

 _Knuckles sat up and wondered what gift Sally could be talking about. He initially thought grapes maybe and his belly growled at the notion. But that hope died when he noticed no fruit nearby. In fact, he didn't see anything._

 _Sally sat up too, leaned over to the echidna and put her lips to his. Knuckles was shocked by this. What in the world was she doing? He didn't resist though and felt a warm tingle creep through his little body. To Knuckles now, he knew it was a sloppy kiss, but at the time, he had never felt such pleasure._

 _After a few seconds, Sally pulled away a little, leaving Knuckles yearning for more. "What was that?" he asked dumbfounded._

 _Sally giggled at his naïveté. "It was a kiss, silly," she explained. "I saw it in a movie once."_

 _"A movie?"_

 _"Yeah. You know; moving pictures?"_

 _Knuckles just stared blankly._

 _"Never mind. Mother told me that a kiss is sacred and that I should only kiss the man I want to marry."_

 _Marry? Knuckles knew what that was, but it never occurred to him to marry the princess. But now, it seemed he had little choice. He knew enough that the man proposed to a woman on one and knee as he proclaimed his undying love for her. Playing along, Knuckles shifted to one knee and swiped a small handful of nearby wildflowers as he took Sally's dainty hand._

 _"Princess? Will you marry me?"_

 _"Yes!" Sally said, a little louder than she had intended. She accepted the flowers and gave them a sniff, then promptly sneezed. "I must be allergic," she informed him. She set the flowers aside and kissed him a second time, a little better now that she was used to it. "We'll have a castle of our own someday, won't we, Knuckles?"_

 _"Sure. And we'll be a Mommy and Daddy," added Knuckles._

 _"And have lots of kids, right?"_

 _"Yeah, and our Dads and your Mom and brother can live with us. Oh, and the Master Emerald too, so it doesn't get lonely."_

 _Knuckles and Sally fell silent and daydreamed about that distant future. The sun began to set, turning the sky a bright gold. Knuckles and Sally scooted together and Knuckles put his arm on her side, holding her close as the sun sunk into the far ocean._

 _"Don't you wish it could be like this forever?" asked Sally._

 _"Yeah," Knuckles replied._  
* * *

Knuckles' eyes snapped open and he shot up. The memory came to him in his sleep and he remembered it vividly. How could've he forgotten about that? It was the last time Sally ever visited Angel Island for over a decade. The next trip, Sally fell ill and her mother stayed behind to tend to her. The King and Elias's helicopter was sabotaged. It blew up in midair and sank to the bottom of the ocean as he later found out.

To his side, Julie moaned and rolled onto her side. Knuckles held still until he was sure she was back asleep. He slipped out of the blanket and tiptoed to the door, not bothering to put on his shoes. Sally mumbled something in her sleep and then fell silent. He opened the door and stepped out into the chill predawn air.

He set off for the shrine, knowing he would need the guidance of his ancestors. He was conflicted about his current predicament. He knew he loved Julie, but he couldn't deny his feelings for Sally either. Lastly, this dream... flashback. Reminded him about a promise he had made to Sally nearly ten years ago. Sure they were just kids, but... what if it was destiny? He did not pretend to understand how the Soul Touch worked or whether it transcended the echidna race and rules of society. These were questions he would have to seek counseling for.

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** So I didn't make many changes in this chapter, but the next one should have more alterations in it. The point of Knuckles's conflictions is his struggle with what he knows is right and what his heart feels. Is there anyone who feels the same way sometimes? Which do you follow, your heart or your mind?

* * *

 **Bonus! Original Author's Note:**

 **Author's Note:** Sorry that the update took a couple days to be posted and was pretty short by comparison, but I ran into a bit of a wall when I tried to fill another chapter with a flashback. Instead I decided to go and make Sonic relevant again and bring him back into the story while skipping ahead to point I wanted to reach with Knuckles' flashback. So now, Sonic is ready to come to terms with his failings as a hero, friend, and boyfriend. Knuckles has a flashback to when he and Sally actually kinda proposed to each other, but it was supposed to only be a harmless childhood fantasy. On a side note, I've already mapped out the rest of the story, all I have to do is write/type it out. I will reveal that Tails and Sonic reconcile somewhat in the next chapter. Until then, R&R.


	9. Chapter 9: Irony

**Chapter 9: Irony:**

A shadow fell over Tails and the absence of the sun's warming rays made the fox shiver. He slowly opened his eyes, wincing from the ambient light, and beheld Sonic's silhouette standing over him. The fox frowned and asked, "Sonic? What do you want?"

"I want you to come down and join us for breakfast," he replied.

"No thank you. I'll pass," Tails grumbled as he closed his eyes and pretended to take no further notice of the hedgehog. Sonic continued to stand over the fox, until he felt uncomfortable and somewhat cross. "Can't you take a hint?! Leave me alone!"

"I know you're angry, Tails, and you have every right to," said Sonic. The hedgehog sat down on the mossy roof and let his legs dangle over the sides. Tails' grumpiness faded as he sat up and watched his former mentor's actions. Sonic looked ashamed, with his face bearing a somber expression, his ears drooped, and he avoided eye contact. It was almost as if he felt guilty. "I'm no good at this sort of thing so I'm come right out and say it," he began.

"Say what?"

Sonic looked over at Tails and locked eyes. "I'm sorry."

Tails's amazement was temporary. "Sorry for what?"

"For being such a jerk lately. I realize that I hurt you, Sal, and everyone that cares about me with my actions. So I'm sorry. Do ya forgive me?"

Tails looked away for a minute and felt all his hurt and anger just melt away. "I guess… I can't stay mad at you; you were just doing what you thought was right."

Sonic smiled and clapped his friend on the back heartily. "I'm glad to hear ya say that, little buddy. Let's go inside and eat, then we can go find Sally." Sonic stood up and started to lead the way down. Tails sat there for awhile longer and stared after the hedgehog for a moment then stood and followed him.  
* * *

Sally awoke to a dim room. Forgetting where she was at for a moment, she sat up and looked around. Oh yeah, she was at Knuckles' cabin. The quaint furniture was cast in gray light that filtered through his closed shades. She looked towards the fireplace, the fire had died down quite some time ago and Julie lay in a bundle of blankets nearby. Wait. Julie? Where was Knuckles?

Sally looked around the entire cabin, but didn't see him anywhere. A pit opened again in her stomach when she remembered what she had revealed to him last night and what he had done in response. What an idiot… He was probably avoiding her. Not that she could blame him. She had just gone and made their close friendship weird.

Maybe it was best if she just left and hoped he forgot about it all. But, where would she go? She couldn't just skip out on two separate groups of friends without a word and she wouldn't go back to Sonic even if she could. Besides, the plane had no fuel left. She was trapped here until Knux took her back or Sonic came to get her. She should've thought about that earlier.

Turning back to Julie's resting form, Sally felt as if she were suffocating under a sea of guilt. The least she could do was tell Julie about last night; she deserved to know, even if she tried to kill Sally. With a heavy heart, she crawled over to the pink echidna and gently shook her shoulder. Julie stirred and mumbled, "Knuckles… Stop it…Jus' five more min…"

"It's Sally." The chipmunk told her.

Julie cracked her eyes open and saw the princess leaning over her. "You aren't going to kiss me again, are you?" she asked sleepily.

Sally flushed slightly. "Er, no. Not right now."

"Oh, that's a shame."

Sally was confused by Julie statement, but didn't have much time to ponder it. She needed to tell Julie before Knuckles came back and tried to stop her. "Julie, there's something you should know…"

"What's that?" Julie asked, now wide awake. She sat up, forcing Sally to retreat a bit.

"I messed up big time…"

"What?"

"I… I kissed Knuckles last night." Sally felt the knot in her gut loosen a bit, but it didn't disappear.

Julie's intial reaction was unforthcoming. She just stared at Sally for a moment, blinking, before she sat up and looked at the chipmunk with a curious expression. "And..." she began, drawing out the first word, "how did it go?"

For the second time in a surprisngly short period of time, Sally was at a loss for words. She just gapped slightly at the echidna for a moment. When she could control her mouth, the only thing Sally could manage to squeek out was, "You're taking this remarkably well."

Julie laughed, much to Sally's utter bafflement. "You must think I'm dense as Knuckles is sometimes! I caught onto your ploy last night after that kiss. But the strange thing is," she paused, "I don't mind."

"You mean you don't mind that I'm competing with you for Knuckles?" asked Sally, unwilling to believe what the other mobian had just said.

Julie shook her head. "First off, I never said 'compete', you did. Second, I've seen they way you've looked at each other in the past. I must say, you hid your furtive glances well, but I still noticed. And I'm fine with that. I know you guys used to be childhood sweethearts, and, sometimes, old feelings die hard. I can understand that. The other thing is, I believe that you and Knuckles share the same connection that he and I do."

"Love?"

"Soul Touch. But close."

"What is... a 'Soul Touch'?"

Julie took a breath as she tried to think of a way to explain the phenomenon to the chipmunk princess. "Er, well, it's kinda like a sixth sense that all echidnas share. It is a powerful sense that tells both echidnas when they have found their soulmate. Someone who completes them and is marked to be together forever. Usually, it is exclusive to echidnas, but there's also the likely possibility that all races share it, they just don't know it."

Sally settled herself down cross-legged beside the echidna as she asked her another question. "And how did you two discover it?"

Julie sighed. "Well, that's a bit of a story. I'll give you the short version. When Knuckles and his friends, Vector and Espio, destroyed the base I was stationed at, my first impluse was anger and righteous fury. Those three had taken the only thing I knew and I vowed revenge on them. But when I got my first good look at Knuckles, I felt something I couldn't describe and couldn't understand. All my anger and hurt faded away, all I needed was to know him better and I was willing to give up my life in the Legion to feel that way forever. Knuckles must have felt the same way, because against his better judgement and Vector's protests, he actually took me back to his island and explained a lot to me. One thing lead to another and, before we knew it, we were dating and officially a couple. Let me tell you, it shook a few worlds," she laughed, "The point is, the Soul Touch doesn't care about what society expects or how others will feel about it. It's only goal and mission is to bring those who belong together, well, together. That's the short version, anyhow."

Sally processed this information slowly. "So, you think I could be Knuckles's other Soul Touch? Or him mine?"

Julie shrugged. "I don't know. That's something you'll have to discover for yourself." She cast a sidelong glance at Sally. "But, while we're on the topic, I'm glad it's someone like you, and not some skank like someone else I know."

Sally gave Julie a small smile. "Thanks, Julie." With that, Sally's guilt and inhibitions faded away. Throwing her arms around the hot pink echidna, Sally hugged the other female tightly against her body.

Julie's eyes widened briefly in mild surprise before she let out a small chuckle. "Whoa, ease up there, Sal. I may be bionic, but I still need to breathe."

Sally loosened her grip slightly. "Sorry. Thank you, Julie."

Julie touched her forhead to Sally's. "Don't worry about it. Now," she paused to place a soft kiss on Sally's cheek, "go find Knuckles so we can have a nice discussion."  
* * *

Sonic was stuffed and honestly couldn't take another bite even if Amy force fed it to him. He belched satisfactorily which earned him a disapproving glare from Amy. He pretended not to notice, but reminded himself to apologize later. Seated next to him, Tails trembled as he lifted his fork up his lips but couldn't bring himself to finish the last bite. He let the utensil clatter back onto his messy plate and wiped his sticky muzzle with the back of his glove. The pancakes had been wonderful, and Amy had added fresh blueberries that she and Cream had gathered earlier to the mix.

After letting his stomach adjust, Sonic stood up and took his plate as well as Tails' to the sink. "Thanks fer the pancakes," he said as he passed Amy. "They were delish, but Tails and I need to be setting out now."

Amy blushed slightly at the praise and nodded to excuse them. "Vanilla and I will clean the dishes, just go and get our leader back," she informed the blue hedgehog.

Tails's eyelids drooped drowsily. He was snapped awake by Sonic prodding him with an elbow. "C'mon, little buddy, gotta shake a leg."

"Oh, right," Tails agreed. He thanked Amy then followed Sonic out of the kitchen. It felt great to be Sonic's sidekick again, and no matter what Sonic did in the past, Tails would always want to be by his hero's side. He wondered what could've made Sonic turn a new leaf like this overnight, but whatever it was, the fox was glad it did.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly and rising up across the azure sky. Tails was forced to squint or risk being blinded. Sonic glanced over at his companion, a brotherly love glowing in his wide green eyes. A small smile played at the edges of his face as he stretched for a brisk run. "Ya ready, li'l bro?"

"Yup. Where are we going?"

"The place where Sally ran off to."

"And where's that?"

Sonic hesitated, and then decided to tell him. "I'm pretty sure she's on Angel Island."

Tails looked up at the hedgehog. "I thought so too."

Sonic's face clouded up with confusion. "How did you guess that?"

Tails delayed as if he didn't want to answer, but reluctantly admitted, "The day after Sally went missing I snuck into her room and tried to look for clues."

"You mean to say you were snooping?!"

"I wouldn't call it that, but more-or-less yes. Anyways, I found a picture of Aunt Sally and Knuckles as kids resting on her dresser. It seemed out of place considering the rest were lodged in the mirror's frame. It didn't take much to put two and two together."

Sonic nodded. "Right. Good work, but we better keep this between us. I can't imagine what Sal might do if she found out you snooped around her room."

"Agreed."

"Anyways, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"But wait, how are we supposed to get to Angel Island? Sally took the plane and I can't fly that far let alone carry you too."

"I thought about that already. Remember that Knuckles gave Vector and them a warp ring in case of emergency?"

"Oh, yeah. I had almost forgotten about that."

"Well I'm sure Vec wouldn't mind us borrowing it for a few."

"So to the Chaotix's base?"

"Yep." With that, Sonic bolted, leading the way across the field. Tails was surprised, but quickly recovered and propelled himself forward after the blue blur.  
*

"I'm sorry, pal; but I can't just give it to you. Knux gave it to us to take care of and use only in emergencies."

"Ah, c'mon, Vec! The princess is missing! This IS an emergency," Sonic countered. The croc before him was puffing on a cigar with the warp ring set on the desk between the two. Espio stood nearby looking bored, but silently keeping tabs on the conversation. Charmy was out doing errands for the team and Tails just stood nervously by Sonic's side.

"Well, I can understand that, but the fact is, Knux gave it to the Chaotix for us to use, not loan out to anyone who asks nicely."

"Dammit, Vec! Just open the portal!"

Vector nodded towards the fox. "Why don't you guys just use his snazzy plane? The Twister or whatnot?"

Sonic ran a gloved hand over his face, trying to keep his temper under control. "Sally took that when she left."

Vector looked back to Sonic. "Well, why didn't ya say so? That sucks no doubt, but my hands are tied."

Sonic resisted the urge to grab the croc's neck chains and strangle him with them. He took a deep breath and tried to come up with a different argument. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Say, Vec," he began.

"Yeah?"

"You consider yourself a ladies' man, right?"

Vector grinned toothily. "Of course. I'm a regular lady killer."

"Well you wouldn't stand in the way of true love would ya?"

Vector's smile fell in puzzlement. "Whaddaya mean?"

"I broke up with Sal, but now I know that was the biggest mistake I ever made. Ya gotta let me at least have a chance to make things right."

Vector sat back and puffed on his cigar as he contemplated. At length, he finally answered, "Well if it's for love, I suppose I can't stand in the way." He sighed and looked over at the chameleon by the door. Espio nodded almost imperceptibly. Looking back to Sonic, he stood up. "Ok, I'll open it, but don't make me regret it." He picked up the distinct ring and held it at arm's length pointing to spot near the desk. "Open," he commanded.

A round hole opened in the middle of the room. The edges were hazy, but the center beheld a thick swath of trees. It was like a window to a different dimension, but instead of a parallel universe, it just led to Angel Island. "Be warned," Vector intoned ominously, "The warp opens on the outskirts of the island. Knux set it there for obvious security reasons."

Sonic gave an acknowledging nod, but kept eyes on the portal as if it might collapse in an instant. "Thanks, Vec. I mean it, this means a lot."

The croc rubbed his head embarrassedly. "Aw, it's nothing. Just make sure ya didn't waste my time."

Sonic stepped forward and began to enter head first. "C'mon, Tails. There's no telling when it might close."

Tails started after the hedgehog when an afterthought came to Vector. "Oh! Wait, once ya step through, there's no coming back since ya don't have the ring. This is a one-way trip."

"Understood," Tails acknowledged. "Oh, and tell Charmy 'hi' for me."

"Will do," Vector confirmed as he waved them off. The portal collapsed in on itself as Tails's namesakes disappeared inside. Vector sat back down in his office chair and put the ring back on his desk. He puffed his cigar again and then opened a drawer and pulled out a Polaroid of a certain female bunny. He stared at it until he realized that Espio was still watching him.

"What'cha looking at, ya slimy lizard?" he snapped. Espio merely shrugged and left the hostile room. Vector instantly felt bad about yelling at the chameleon like that, but his pride prevented him from apologizing. Oh well, Espio was used to it anyways. He put the picture back in his drawer and exchanged it for a bottle of whiskey.  
* * *

Sally stumbled out Knuckles' cabin and into the bright, mid-morning sun. Shielding her eyes as they adjusted, Sally made her way for the only place she reasoned Knuckles could be, the shrine. She was clad once again in her blue rubber boots and jean jacket as she picked her way through the underbrush onto the main path to heart of the island at its shrine. When she stepped out of the treeline, she glanced up at the shrine and could faintly see Knuckles's outline tending to the Master Emerald. By the time she reached the top, Knuckles had his back to her and was kneeling before the giant jewel, mouthing soundless words. Keeping her silence, Sally stepped forward and sat beside the echidna as he finished his prayer.

After about a minute, Knuckles appeared to give up and opened his eyes, glancing sideways over at Sally. He wasn't surprised to find her beside him since he had heard her coming up the stairs, yet he could tell something had changed with her since last night. "Sleep well?" he asked.

Sally nodded slowly. "Just fine," she replied. She opened her mouth again to speak, but hesitated, unsure of how to bring it up to Knuckles.

"Have something you want to say?"

Pushing herself forward, Sally spoke. "Er, yes, Knuckles. I, uh, spoke with Julie, and... well, let's just say it was pretty interesting."

Knuckles's face contorted into slight confusion and morbid curiousity. "Oh, yeah? And what did you guys talk about?"

Sally glanced down for a moment before bringing her eyes back up to Knuckles. "I told her about our kiss last night."

Knuckles frowned, looking almost ready to snap in frustration. "You did what?" he asked, dangerously calm. "I was supposed to-"

Sally cut him off quickly. "It's alright, Knuckles. She knew what I was up to and she's okay with it."

Knuckles shook his head in disbelief. "You mean, no slapping, no coming after me with her gun? Nothing?"

Sally stood up. "Nope. She told me about the Soul Touch and what it does. She says she believes you and I share the same bond."

Knuckles raised himself to her level. "Truly?" Knuckles seemed to ponder the ramifications of this new information. Crossing the distance between them, Sally placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his muscular chest.

"Julie wants us to come back to the cabin so we can talk about it more."

Knuckles gazed back down at the chipmunk. "I suppose we should get going then. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting, would we?"

Sliding her hand down into Knuckles's, Sally accompanied Knuckles down the stairs back towards the cabin. "So, can I ask what you doing with the Emerald?"

Knuckles didn't even blink. "Of course. I was trying to speak with my ancestors."

"About us?"

Knuckles nodded. "Last night, I had a dream of some sort, well, a flashback really. You remember the last time you visited Angel Island as a kid?"

Sally felt a small prickle of sadness as she recalled the reasons why her visits had stopped all those years ago. "Of course."

"And do you remember when I sorta proposed to you?"

Sally let a broad smile cross her face despite her depressing memories. "Yep. It was so sweet, Knuckles. It was also right after our first kiss."

Knuckles looked over at Sally as he returned her smile. "That's right. It seems foolish now, but at the time, it was the start of a long crush on you. Before I met Julie, of course."

"And now?"

"I don't think the feeling has faded at all; just gotten stronger."

"So what did your ancestors say?" asked Sally as they drew closer to the cabin.

"Nothing," replied Knuckles, somewhat disappointed, "I couldn't sense them at all. It seems as if they either don't know the answer or want to share one with me."

"Then it's just something we'll have to figure out ourselves, isn't it?"

"I guess so," finished Knuckles as he opened the door to his cabin.  
* * *

Back at the altar, Sonic and Tails had just arrived after finding a bit of trouble in one of Knuckles's traps. All it took was for Sonic to not pay attention to one step, and before he knew it, he was suspended upside down by one leg as Tails looked up at him. "Cut me down!" Sonic had yelled to the young fox as the kid found the peg and kicked it loose. After that mishap, Sonic had taken more care in stepping around Angel Island and at length reached the altar, but, strangely, it was empty. Of people, at least. The Emerald was still there, but no Knuckles, Julie, or Sally in sight. "Where are they?" asked Sonic, glancing around the abandoned altar.

"Well, we know Aunt Sally's here," said Tails, pointing to the Tornado sitting near the trees on the far side of the clearing. Sonic bolted over as Tails struggled to catch up. A quick look inside revealed little, except the keys were still in the ignition and the vehicle was out of fuel. "Lovely," drawled Tails as he tapped the dial, "does Sally know how hard it's going to be to refuel this thing out here?"

"We'll worry about that later," replied Sonic, turning his back on the machine. "First, we need to find out where Sal and ol' Knucklehead went."

Tails climbed back out and stood next to Sonic, pointing slightly upwards at a thin coulmn of grayish-white clouds rising straight up. "Where there's smoke," he began.

"There's fire!" finished Sonic, clapping the fox on the back, "Good going, buddy!"

Jogging more than running, the two headed directly for the source of the whispy smoke trail.  
* * *

While Sonic and Tails had been investigating the altar and biplane, Knuckles and Sally had arrived back in the cabin and Knuckles had started up a new fire to heat up the chilly cabin. Once the the fire was properly set and Knuckles was satisfied with it, the echidna set his poker aside and turned to the two females seated at the table in his kitchen.

"Thanks, Knux," Julie said as he came over to join them. "What would I do without you?"

"Wither away and die, I suppose," he replied in jest, reclining in his chair. "Sooo..." he continued, drawing out the 'o' part awkwardly, "You wanted to talk?"

Julie nodded agreeably. "Yes, I think we should discuss us, you and Sal, and Sal and I. Lay down ground rules and stuff like that."

"Ground rules?" echoed Knuckles.

"Like, 'share and share alike'."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It's easier if we demonstrate," replied Julie. Gesturing towards Sally, Julie continued, "Kiss her." When Knuckles hesitated, Julie rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you're going to be shy **now**? Go ahead!" Knuckles still looked a little nervous as he leaned up and quickly pecked Sally on her cheek. "Oh what was that?" mocked Julie, "Is this your junior prom? This... is a kiss." Without notice, Julie shot up and placed her lips over Sally's much to the chipmunk's surprise and initial resistance. Huh, irony. Sally just got that. Once Julie withdrew her tongue, she wiped her mouth as she leaned back and made a pointed look at Knuckles. "Your turn."

Summoning up what courage he had, Knuckles stood once more and placed his lips back onto Sally's. There was less resistance this time, since she had a little more warning. Mentally timing it, Julie figured that the kiss lasted about fifteen seconds. Not bad. "See? Easy," she said as they broke lips. "Now, it's your turn to kiss me, Knux."

Knuckles nodded and returned the favor to his first girlfriend.

Once he let up, Julie moved on. "That's pretty much the basic. This is an equal partnership, no one has any more right to another than anybody else. Understood?"

Knuckles and Sally nodded.

"The next thing we should discuss is sex."

Knuckles groaned and Sally blushed lightly at the concept. Already? She and Knuckles hadn't even dated once yet. But... he was Julie's boyfriend, so Sally supposed she could sit through it.

"Obviously, sex is still based on desire and 'needs', but we have to make it clear where we stand on it. Knuckles?"

Knuckles parted his gloves slightly so he could see Julie through one eye. "Hm?"

"Any issues with satisfying two ladies?"

"No," he answered, somewhat guardedly, "Why should there be?"

Ignoring his tone, Julie switched her focus to Sally. "Sally, do you have a chastity vow? If not, are you willing to engage in intercourse with either Knuckles or I, depending on needs?"

"Um, well, actually I once did a little-"

"I don't want to know!" cried Knuckles, slamming his hands around his ears childishly.

Frowning at his behavior, Julie gave Knuckles a quick disapproving glance before bringing her attention back to Sally. "You lost your virginity?" she asked, mildly surprised.

"Not quite," denied Sally. "It was just some oral, so ya know, nothing serious."

"High schools would beg to differ," countered Julie, "but don't take that to mean I'm judging you. I could tell you stories about Knuckles that would make that batslut blush. But," she countinued, leaning back, "it would be more fun to show you."

Sally kept silent for a moment. "And you mentioned 'us' at some point?"

Julie nodded. "I believe in equal partnerships and that includes all aspects. C'mon, do you expect me to let Knuckles have you all to himself?"

Sally grinned. "It's pretty hard to argue when the other girl's as pretty as you are."

Julie blushed lightly as she let a self-concious smile spread across her face. "Oh, stop it, Sal, you're making me blush."

"So where do we go from here?"

Julie looked devious as she smiled suggestively. "My recommendation is the bedroom."

"Wait, you have a bedroom?"

"Out there," answered Julie, pointing to the living room. "Plenty of room for three I should think."

Standing up, the two females tapped Knuckles on the head and shoulder, alerting the echidna to the fact they were leaving the kitchen. "We're going to get comfortable in the living room. Come join us if you're ready to be a big boy," teased Julie.

Knuckles stood quickly, thrusting a thumb to his chest. "I'm no boy; I'm Knuckles the Echidna!"

"Then get in here, knucklehead!" called Sally.

Knuckles entered the living room and placed himself on the couch. Seating themselves on either side of Knuckles, with Jules on the right and Sally on the left, the two placed their hands on his shoulder and chest as they took turns placing kisses on his neck and lips. Knuckles was the most content had ever been in his life, the two most beautiful women in the world were in his arms and lavishing him affection. Best of all, they liked each other just as much. That was definitely a bonus. Yep, everything was going great. And then Sonic decided to let himself in.

"H-Hey, Knux! I don't mean to... What the hell is going on?!"

* * *

 _ **New**_ **Author's Note:** So I pretty much rewrote every section with Sally, Knux, Julie, and the third part of Sonic's and Tails's appearance in this chapter. I'm pretty sure by this point, the rating "transcends" the T Rating I gave it, but whatever. There's only "hell" used twice near the end and some references to sex, but nothing explicit. As far as the "Original Author's Note:" goes, you might not understand it since I changed the story quite a bit. Even the title changed since the line used for it was deleted. Regardless, it's still here to show how awkward my earlier author's notes were. Aside from all that, have any thoughts or opinions about this chapter? I'd be glad to hear them.

~TheEpicTales

* * *

 **Bonus!**

 _ **Original**_ **Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long for the update to come about, but I wasn't happy with Julie and Sally's dialogue. And to be honest, I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but I can't fiddle with it forever so here is the next chapter. Um, a similar discussion was shown in SoulEnder's Chaos, Order, and Balance and I think he did a better job, but whatever, I can always change it later if I want to. First thing I should mention about the story, I considered having Knux and Sal go all the way in this chapter, but decided that that would constitute a rating change from T to M and I didn't feel like doing that. So I stopped it once it got saucy and suggestive. Hope y'all liked it. Second, I have some good news and bad news. Good news is that this chapter is about twice as long as any of my others (about 10 pages compared to the usual five or two). Bad news is this is the second to last chapter in this story (not counting the Epilogue). More good news though, I'm considering making a prequel that spans the year Sonic disappeared and how the characters in this story each responded to this unexpected loss. Anyways, R &R and be sure to check up on my other fanfics if you liked this one and haven't seen the others yet. Right, well, until next time.


	10. Chapter 10: A Resolution?

**Chapter 10: A Resolution?**

Knuckles started up from the couch as he whipped his head over to the hedgehog standing in his doorway with Tails just behind him, trying to peek over Sonic's shoulder with curiousity. Sally and Julie looked over as well as gave Sonic just as surprised expression as the echidna between them. Sonic simply stood there, jaw hanging ajar, unsure what exactly what he had been witnessing. His first instinct had been to pounce on Knuckles and kick the living crap out of him, but his mind was unwilling to process this odd turn of events.

"What's going on?" asked Tails from behind Sonic, "I can't see anything."

Sonic blinked, forced his jaw shut, and turned to the fox. "N-nothing, Tails. Just wait outside, Knux and I need to talk," he ordered his sidekick, gently pushing the kid outside.

"But I-"

Tails didn't get to finish his sentence before Sonic slammed the door in his face. Tails held a finger up as if to argue, but figured it would amount to nothing, and so lowered it and turned around. He took a few steps forward and sat down on the bottom step, internally fuming about being excluded once more.

Inside, Sonic held the door shut by leaning against it as he ran what he had just seen through his mind trying to rationalize it. Here he was trying to apologize for his actions to Sally and thank Knuckles for keeping an eye on her, but his ex-girlfriend was hanging all over the echidna. Worse still, Knuckles was allowing it. He didn't even try to throw Julie-Su into the mix. He was having a hard enough time understanding without Knuckles's girlfriend being involved in it too.

The three would-be lovers stood and shared uncertain looks between one another, unsure of how to approach Sonic and explain it.

At length, Knuckles was the first to step forward. Placing a hand on Sonic's shuddering shoulder, he spoke up softly. "Er, Sonic. It's not what it looks like."

Sonic threw the echidna's hand off his shoulder as he whirled about. The hedgehog's face was livid. "Then what exactly is it?"

Knuckles backed up and stammered quickly. "W-well, me and J-Julie... Sally and-d I... I mean..."

Sally broke in. "What are you even doing here? Didn't I make it clear I wanted to get away from you?" she asked with a cutting tone.

Sonic didn't flinch. "I came to apologize." He turned his attention to Knuckles. "And the next thing I know, my best friend is all over you."

Knuckles crossed his arms. "The last I heard, you and Sal were no longer a 'thing', Sonic."

Sonic clenched his fists. "That doesn't mean you can just swoop in and catch the rebound!"

Sally stepped up beside Knuckles and placed her hands on his arms and shoulder. "Maybe the 'rebound' wanted to be caught by somebody who actually cared," she replied coldly.

Sonic shook his head, not able to fully accept her razor-sharp words. "But, but, Sal..."

" **Princess** Sally now, Sonic."

Sonic's lower jaw unhinged once again in disbelief. She... she was going to insist he address her like he didn't know her personally any more? He knew he had screwed up, but this badly? This was the closest Sonic felt to shedding tears aside from last night, and yet he was unwilling to break down in front of her or Knuckles. The last thing he wanted was pity. The only thing he could manage to squeeze was a single, "Why?"

"Because, you don't care about anyone's feelings but your own. You think you can do whatever the hell you want and everybody should just go along with it. I'm tired of it, Sonic. I want, need, somebody who is more willing to stand by me when things get tough and not just run off when the pressure gets too intense. You're like a paper boat. You crumble and fold over when exposed to the slighest resistance."

Sonic was at a loss for words. Some of what the chipmunk was ringing too close to home and others just seemed to be hurtful for the sake of being hurtful. His pride, confidence, and worry-free personality had all been diminished so greatly that all that was left was a hollow shell of his former self. Slowly lowering himself to the floor with his back to the door, Sonic hid has face between his legs, almost as if he was preparing for a spindash, yet he remained unmoving.

Knuckles and Sally watched him with a small sense of pity, but knew that Sonic needed to hear it. Knuckles personally thought Sally ahd been perhaps too harsh with how she had worded it, but it was true. Sonic was a loose cannon, always charging off half-cocked and rarely thinking of consequences. It was about time someone put him in his place and made him come to terms with his shortcomings.

Julie was the only one who had not said anything or moved from her position near the couch. Yet, at last, she decided it was her time to play the middle man. Pacing over to Sonic, she placed a gentle hand on his head and softly caressed his spikes. Sonic looked up and was surprised to see Julie nursing his wounded pride. "Huh?"

Julie helped him rise to his feet. "I think what they're saying is, you've been a great hero, but you've also been neglecting your duties, to us." She glanced over at Knuckles and Sally.

The echidna and chipmunk, nodded.

Sonic looked between them and Julie. His throat was closed up, but he forced himself to speak through it anyways. "I- I'm sorry, guys. You're right. I've been a horrible friend," he said looking at Knuckles, "boyfriend," turning his gaze to Sally, "hero," Julie, "and mentor," he finished, looking behind him, towards the door where Tails was waiting outside. Returning his emerald green eyes back to Sally and Knuckles, Sonic continued. "And I'm ready to fix that. The main thing I learned during this conflict is, I should never take my friends for granted like I did with you guys. And I hope, one day, you'll forgive me."

"I already have," said Julie, placing a kiss on the hedgehog's cheek. Not only to Sonic's surprise, but to Knuckles's and Sally's as well. Knuckles uncrossed his arms while Sonic looked at the female echidna in surprise. Sally herself, just watched, unable to say much of anything at the moment.

"W-what... what was that for?" asked Sonic.

Julie smiled. "To let you know how much you mean to us. Knuckles's might not say it, but he really admires and looks up to you, ya know? And Sally, she's really glad she has someone like you on our side."

"And what about you?"

"Me? Well," she made a shy smile, "let's just say, I may of had a crush on you for a while."

Sonic couldn't process that bit of information. He and Julie had had only sporadic contact throughout the time they had known each other and almost never without Knuckles being right there to. Knuckles, on the other hand, was even more startled by the revelation than Sonic was.

"Wait, what?" interrupted Knuckles. "Julie," the female echidna looked over at him, "do you actually mean that?"

Julie nodded. "It's true, Red."

Knuckles shrugged Sally off his shoulders. "But... But we're soulmates," he protested.

"Yes, we are. But so are you and Sally. Maybe Sonic and I are another part of that."

Knuckles shook his head violently. "No way. He's nothing like me."

"And maybe that's what I find so refreshing about him. I love you, Knux, but a girl could use some change every once in a while. You know, a little romance, a little adventure."

"We've gone on adventures."

"Yeah, with Vector, Espio, and that lot. I mean just the two of us. I don't mind the cuddling, the awkward flirts, and days spent with little to do, but I'd also like a little spice in our life. Besides," she added, "would it really be any different from what you and Sally share?"

Knuckles was about to state that it **was** completely different, but when he thought about it, was it really? No. Julie was right. He still didn't like the fact that when they had been kissing, she may have been fantasizing about Sonic, but on the other side of the coin, when they had, especially when the first started dating, Knuckles had been thinking about Sally. It was strange, but strangely fitting. Maybe the world was even more mysterious than Knuckles had been led to believe. He breifly flashed back to a conversation with his father almost a decade ago.  
*

 _Young Knuckles and his father were having dinner in the cabin near the Master Emerald Altar. It was some cooked poultry Knuckles had caught with his traps and that his father had cooked, along with an assortment of fruits and vegetables that grew on the island. Dinner was usually a somber affair where few words were exchanged, but Young Knuckles had a question on his mind that begged to be asked. Twirling his fork, Knuckles kept his gaze downwards as he spoke._

 _"Dad?"_

 _"Hm?" asked Locke, looking up from the book he had been reading._

 _"Where do babies come from?"_

 _Locke sighed and set his fork down. He had known this question was coming for quite some time. Regardless of how isolated they were from the worst influences of society, some questions were just universal and asking how one originated was a common one. Locke thought about it briefly, wondering how to answer the seven-year-old's question without going into too much detail. At length, he decided to be straight with his son._

 _"Well, it starts when a man and woman loves each other very much. Sometimes it's a man and a man or a woman and a woman who love each other, but we'll get into that later. In any case, the man and woman are usually deeply in love. And when that happens they have... an, um, 'special hug' that they do. Sometimes, a child is created when that happens and that child grows inside his mother. In the case of echidnas like ourselves, the child instead grows in an egg, like you and me. After that, the child grows up, finds someone they love, and the process continues." Locke finished and speared a grape. Pushing it in his mouth, Locke had a question himself for the young echidna. "Can I ask where this came from?"_

 _Knuckles shrugged. "Well, Sally and I were talking about and we-"_

 _Locke nearly choked on the grape as soon as he heard the Princess's name._

 _"Knuckles," he said firmly as soon as he could breath properly._

 _The younger echidna looked up._

 _"No matter what your feelings are for this princess, you must remember that being a Guardian is a unique burden you must carry on your own. I will not always be here and, one day, you'll have to carry the mantle of Guardianship of the Master Emerald. No matter how painful it is, you must realize that our duty is to the Emerald first and our personal needs second."_

 _Knuckles looked a little crushed. "Y-yes, father."_

 _Locke felt bad for the small child, but he was certain of Knuckles's destiny and future significance. Intending to move past the subject, Locke resumed his meal. "Finish your peas, son."_

 _"Yes, father."_  
*

It was not until many years later that Knuckles had begun to realize that his father had been wrong in that regard. Just because he was the Guardian did not mean he had to be alone. Sometimes, love had a way of finding you, no matter where you hid. And it did not discriminate based on our morals or ideals, it just did what it did best. Bringing people together.

At length, Knuckles nodded reluctantly. "No, it isn't."

Julie looked appreciative. "Thank you, Knuckles. So now then," she continued, looking up at Sonic as she drew closer to him. "What do you say to joining our little triad?"

Sonic hesitated. Glancing around, he saw Knuckles and Sally staring at him impassively and expectantly. After a moment's pause, Sonic looked back at Julie. "I think I could get used to it," he replied as he took Julie's face in his hands and kissed her.

Knuckles clenched his fists, his possesive instincts kicking in, until Sally whispered softly in his ear. "Don't forget you still have one other lover."

Knuckles looked down at her and his frustration erased as he smiled. "Oh yeah," he laughed, "I wouldn't suppose you'd care for a little attention?"

Sally giggled in turn. "I **guess** I could tolerate a **little** affection."

Knuckles and Sally stared into each other eyes before their lips met and bliss filled both of them. Sally spared a glance over at Julie who was in turn, still being romantically assualted by Sonic and giving Sally the thumbs up.

Outside, Tails was still pouting. 'What's taking them so damn long?' thought the fox sourly with his chin in his hands. 'Maybe I should go in and see what's going. But... Sonic did say to stay out here. So, I'll give it another fifteen minutes... Or and hour. An hour and no longer.' Tails looked up at the Master Emerald. 'It sucks being left out.'

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So here it is! The newly written Chapter 10 of Promises (Remastered). Told ya guys it would be drastically different from the original, didn't I? So any thoughts on this chapter? How did you guys like the pacing? The characters? The ending? Oh, wait, there's still one chapter to go. In any case, share your thoughts and if you enjoyed this tale, then check this other story I started for a reader named _Arbmaster 16_ that I titled "Dancing Between the Raindrops". It doesn't have anything to do with this story, except having some similar themes. The main characters are Garret the Ferret (who is also debuting in a number of stories either already published or currently being written), Arby the Hedgehog (Arbmaster's OC), and Nocturne the Chameleon (also Arbmaster's OC). I think chances are you guys' will like it.

~Until the next one, TheEpicTales


	11. Epilogue: Two Years Later

**Promises ReMastered:**

 **Epilogue:**

 _Two Years Later..._

Gentle waves crashed along the sandy shore where four figures rested languidly on a set of lawn chairs. The four were of course Sally, Knuckles, Julie-Su, and Sonic in that order, from left to right. Sonic and Julie's hands were clasped together as they stared at the horizon, which was a magnificent hue of orange, gold, and pale yellow. Beside them, Knuckles and Sally sat reclined. Knuckles had his hands folded behind his head and Sally appeared nearly half-asleep. Knuckles sighed contently and spoke up. "I gotta say, this is pretty nice. With Eggman behind bars, Mobius has been pretty peaceful."

Sonic and Julie nodded lazily.

"By the way, Sonic, you really did a number on his doomsday device! Not bad for a blue pincushion," continued Knuckles with a grin and small laugh. The echidna reached over and received a high-five from his frienemy.

"Right back at ya, knucklehead," replied Sonic. He paused. "Although..." he began slowly and Julie groaned, knowing what the hedgehog was about to complain about, "it's been kinda boring without him."

"Oh, Sonic. It had to end sooner or later," Julie reminded him gently.

"I know. But still... we'll never have the same kind of fun we did when we had to fight for our lives."

"That's true," agreed Knuckles.

Julie ribbed the other echidna. "Don't encourage him."

"Just saying what everybody's thinking," replied Knuckles.

Silence fell around the four once more for a few moments.

"So..." began Knuckles again, a little bit more slowly.

Neither Julie nor Sonic spoke, the two just turned their gaze towards him.

"What happens now? I mean, to us? I guess I'll go back to guarding the Master Emerald again and Sal will assume control of the throne, but what about you guys? And Tails? Amy?"

Sonic shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough. Why?"

Knuckles sat upright and swung his legs off of the chair. "Well, I've been thinking," he began.

Sonic chuckled. "Don't try too hard, Knux. You might hurt yourself."

Knuckles scowled at Sonic. "I'm serious. Look, the last two years has been pretty good to us and our... um, well... love triangle thing we've got going on... but, I feel like sooner or later, it gotta end."

"Why would it?" asked Julie.

"The people are going to want a king, right? And to do that, someone's gotta marry Sal."

"Sounds to me like you don't want to do that," commented Sonic.

Knuckles looked conflicted. "No, it's not that. I would," he glanced at Sally, who had finally fell asleep. The chipmunk princess had been working quite hard lately in the aftermath of Eggman's final defeat following the Death Egg incident. "But, I've also got duties to the Emerald. Which implies Sonic would be the next in line."

"No thank you!" Sonic immediately responded. "I don't mind marrying Sal, but being a stuffy bureaucrat isn't really my thing."

"And what does it matter who Sal ends up marrying anyways?" asked Julie, "Marriage is just a concept used to excuse two people that hate each other to be entitled to each other's things."

"Negative much?" asked Sonic.

Knuckles shrugged and laid back down. "I don't know. It just seems like its inevitable." He scoffed. "And all this time, we thought we were avoiding to choose. But all we did was postpone it."

"Knuckles," Julie took his hand, "none of us has to choose. That's the beauty of freedom of choice. We also have the choice to not choose. Besides, we'll figure it out. We always have."

Knuckles relaxed a bit. "Hmm, maybe. Sonic's right. We'll just have to wait and see."

Silence returned to the area for another minute or so before Sonic spoke up once again. "Ya know... Tails and Amy apparently have agreed to go on a date."

Knuckles looked surprised. "Really? Well, good for them."

"Yeah, who would've guessed they'd hit it off like that?"

Sonic grinned. "I did. I set it up too. The trick was just to get them in the same room together for more than ten minutes. Plus, they've really matured over the last two years."

"Know if only we could get you to do the same, Sonic," commented Knuckles. He shivered as cold ocean breeze swept over them. "It's getting kinda cold. How about we head inside?"

Sonic jumped up. "About time. I got a couple ideas on what we could do do to warm up too."

Julie stood up and took Sonic's offered limb as the two headed off to a the beach cabin they had rented for the weekend. Knuckles himself sat up and elbowed Sally gently.

"Huh? Wha-?" asked Sally as she was startled awake.

"C'mon, we're heading inside."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm coming," said Sally groggily, unsteadily getting out of the chair. She had a little trouble standing still as her legs didn't want to agree with the rest of her body.

"Mind if I carry you?" asked Knuckles.

Sally shook her head gently. "No. In fact, I'd appreciate it."

With that, the echidna lifted the chipmunk up and cradled her in his arms. Sally placed her limbs around his neck and shoulders. "Thanks, Knux."

"No problem, Sal," he replied as he began to follow Sonic and Julie.

Sally nestled her head in his chest. Her words were a softly whispered group, "I love you, Red."

Knuckles smiled. "I love you too, Princess."

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Kinda anti-climatic, am I right? Oh well, this story needed to be finished and now it is. I don't really have all that much to say, so I'm just gonna ask to listen to what you have to say. Oh, and I'll even add a little sneak preview of _Age of Mobius_ , which is coming out soon. It's only part of the first chapter and needs a little work, so it may change when I actually release the said chapter. Irregardless, here it is:

 _Sneak Preview of_ _ **AoM: Season One: Episode One: A Quest for Adventure:**_

...

"And this is the Frozen Dragon," stated Sonic as he and Amy stopped in front of a small wooden building near the city entrance that lead to the guild's base. "Most of our guildmembers hang out here to spend their money on food and drink. You can also hear stories told by some of our more decorated members or mingle with commonfolk. More rarely, you can pick up additional jobs outside the guild board, however you still have to report any and all rewards you get from the bounty."

Amy nodded slowly, gradually taking in all this information. Meanwhile, Sonic looked confident and placed a mailed hand on the wooden door. "Shall we?" he asked, jerking his head gently in the direction of the bar. Amy nodded again, although somewhat nervously. The guildmembers she had already met were intimidating enough and that was just back at the base, who knew what kind of people she would meet in seedy-looking tavern like this one. However, she swallowed her reluctance and stepped through behind Sonic.

Once her eyes adjusted to the dim conditions inside, Amy's initial opinions about the establishment were all but confirmed. Outside, it looked rustic at best and inside, it was fairly crowded with people she didn't recognize and almost feared. She wondered how many of them were in Silver Wind. "It looks kind of... foreboding."

Sonic glanced at the smaller, pink hedgehog. "This is actually one of the nicer ones in town. C'mon, I'll show you around."

Without waiting for a reply, Sonic took the female by the arm and guided her further in, pointing towards the counter with his free hand. "That guy over there is Bark. He owns the bar and gives guildmembers discounts on drinks."

Amy looked towards where he was pointing. Behind the long tabletop portion of the bar, a massive, light-yellow polar bear wearing a red cap and green scarf while scrubbing the interior of a dented iron mug.

"He might look scary, but he's actually a nice guy. Although, he isn't much for words. I think I've only heard him speak once in the four years I've known him."

The bear looked up and happened to notice Sonic standing across the room with Amy beside the blue hedgehog. The bear nodded briefly at Sonic and then raised an eyebrow towards Amy.

"New recruit!" shouted Sonic.

The bear nodded again and lowered his eyes back to his task.

Sonic glanced at Amy. "See? Nice guy."

Amy scanned the room again, looking for someone she might recognize. She didn't get much chance before Sonic lead her off again, this time towards a table with a couple of females like herself. A bat, a fox, and a... badger, maybe?

The trio of women didn't notice the two until Sonic rapped his knuckles briefly on the table. The three ceased their small talk and looked up at Sonic, who was still holding Amy gently by the arm. "Rouge, Roxan, Sticks," said Sonic, meetiong eyes with each female as he listed their names. "I'd like you to meet Amy." He released her arm and waved his other hand towards her. "She's the new girl, so I figured you guys would like to meet."

The bat, Rouge, tipped her chair back and propped her feet up on the small table. Amy noticed her lengthy, leather boots reached right up to her shins and appeared to be made of very soft material. "Oh, so you're the new recruit then. We were just talking about you," she informed the female hedgehog.

They were talking about her? Amy felt a little self-conscious about that fact. Was it good, bad, or somewhere in between?

The bat gave her a quick look-over. "Hm, you **might** have what it takes, but I wouldn't bet on it. Roxie?"

The fox sipped her drink and shrugged. "Doesn't really bother me. Either she makes it through training or she doesn't. It's as simple as that."

Amy looked the group over individually. Roxan appeared to be a fennec fox, with light brown fur, large ears, and geared up in boiled leather armor. Amy also noticed the quiver lying on the floor beside the fox's chair and the bow slung across her back. She guessed that the fox was an archer of some sort. Next, the bat. Rouge was by far the most attractive of the group, Amy realized. Her chest was rather busty and the white bat made no attempt to hide it. Her entire outfit seemed tailor-made to fit a closely to her body as possible while allowing an ample amount of skin to show through. In sheathes along the vest part of her armor, the bat had several steel daggers sticking out only semi-noticably. Completing the outfit was a dark blue hood resting around the bat's neck. Clearly the bat was some kind of rogue. And finally, the badger. Sticks must have been her name. She was the smallest and youngest of the group, probably somewhere around fifteen years old. Her hair was braided in two large pigtails and her armor was the flimsiest by far. It appeared to be made simply out of cloth and bone clasps. Maybe she was some kind of amazon, given how the badger dressed.

At length, Amy realized she had been staring and flushed slightly while she held forward a trembling hand. "P-pleased to m-meet you," she stammered.

Rouge smiled and took the hand politely, if stiffly. "Believe me, the pleasure is all ours. Just don't disappoint us, alright, sweetie?"

The bat released Amy's hand and took another drink from her mug.

Roxan and Sticks on the other hand ignored the gesture and proceeded to act as if the hedgehog wasn't there. Sticks at least looked a little uncomfortable, but Roxan just kept drinking.

"Alright then, let's go, Amy. There's a couple other people I want you to meet." Once he lead her far enough away, the hedgehog whispered softly in her ear. "Don't worry too much about them. Rouge is friendly enough, but Roxan can be a bit bitchy at times. As for Sticks... well, you'll learn what she's like soon enough. They'll all warm up to you after a while."

Meanwhile, across the bar in one of the darkest corners a ferret was staring directly at the two as they tried to make their way over to table with the echidna from the guild earlier and two more females. The ferret smiled slyly and thought silently to himself, 'Sonic, you shouldn't have.' He downed the last of his ale and stood up, easily picking his way across to the pair of hedgehogs.

"Sonic, my friend! I do believe you missed me in the corner over there!" shouted a voice to Sonic and Amy's left. Both looked over and Sonic groaned.

"Not this guy," he grumbled.

The ferret who had spoken stopped in front of both Sonic and Amy, effectively blocking their view of the table with Knuckles and the others.

"I was beginning to think you just ignoring me. But... you wouldn't do that, would you buddy? Not after all the great quests I kick your way, right? Of course not. Even so, I don't believe you're companion and I have met yet."

Sonic stared evenly at the ferret as an awkward silence fell between them. At length the ferret motioned with his hands to move the conversation forward.

Sonic grimaced. He turned to Amy. "This is Garret. A friend of the guild, and I use the term loosely."

The ferret bowed graciously. "Pleased to meet you, Miss..."

"Amy," the pink hedgehog finished for him.

The ferret gave a cheeky grin and took her hand to place a soft kiss on it. "Miss Amy. A beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he commented suavely.

Amy wasn't sure what Sonic didn't like about the ferret; so far, he seemed to be the friendliest face she had seen today. "A friend? So you're not a guildmember then?"

Garret smiled. "Not officially, no. But I have about as much pull as a Silver Rank. Isn't that right, Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog refused to answer.

"Then what exactly do you do?"

"Glad you asked! I'm a contact of sorts. Need a special item? Information? A job that pays well? Then just come to ol' 'Uncle' Garret and I'll see what I can dig up. Oh, but all for a price of course. My services aren't cheap and I can't just give them away."

Sonic spoke up. "Which is why you could ask an actual guildmember for that stuff."

Garret's smile faltered. "Don't interrupt, Sonic. Can't you see the nice lady and I are trying to have a conversation?" The ferret looked back to Amy. "I should be leaving anyhow. But I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again, real soon," he said cryptically. And without another word, the ferret brushed past Amy and headed off to another table, the one with Rouge, Roxan, and Sticks. Amy trembled gently as she felt his fur come into contact with hers.

"You should probably stay away from him for now. His 'jobs' are usually very dangerous and he's as slick as they come. He always knows more than he lets on and isn't above cheating you if it means he gets a bigger profit off of it. Let me or either Knuckles or Shadow deal with him. He generally plays straight with us," Sonic warned her. "Speaking of which, I think it's time you and Knuckles meet properly."

Amy tore her gaze away from the odd ferret as Sonic lead her towards his intended destination. This day was getting stranger by the second.

...

* * *

 **Author's Note II:** So what did you think about that? Like I said, it's still in-progress, but I personally like how it's shaping out. Check out my profile page for some basic info about the fic and what it's going to entail.


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